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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24635539">Sorry Baby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cg05/pseuds/cg05'>cg05</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Inspired by Killing Eve (TV 2018), Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:22:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>53,058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24635539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cg05/pseuds/cg05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara Danvers has just moved to London to join MI6, the UK's most elite intelligence service. When she comes across two seemingly unconnected murders, she is led to believe one woman is behind them both. Lena Luthor is the most talented killer her organization has ever seen. A game of cat and mouse ensues between the two women as a mutual respect and obsession is developed between them. </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>Killing Eve but make it Supercorp.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>222</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This is my first attempt at writing so if anyone actually ends up reading this let me know if it's something I should continue.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara’s been living in London for 6 months now. She’s finally starting to get used to life outside of National City. It had been a big adjustment, picking up her whole life and moving across the world, but having Alex here had made it easier. When she had told Alex of her plans to move to London and join the UK’s most elite intelligence service, her sister had put in for her transfer from the FBI right away and announced her decision to join her. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but Kara isn’t sure if she would have been able to go through with the move without her sister. </p><p>So far she hasn’t gotten anything all that exciting in terms of work, she’s mostly been a glorified assistant to their director: Cat Grant. She’s not saying she isn’t grateful to be learning from one of MI6’s greatest agents, but she’d like to do more than get coffee and file the paperwork Cat couldn’t be bothered with. Alex has gone out in the field a few times which, given her 3 extra years in the FBI over Kara makes sense, but Kara can’t help but to feel a bit jealous. She wants to prove herself as a useful agent and isn’t sure how she can do that from behind a desk. </p><p>She gets her opportunity one day when a case comes through about a Russian diplomat that was murdered in Paris over the weekend. A meeting is called that includes herself, Cat, Alex and several other agents from various departments. They’re going through the briefing explaining the murder, a series of PowerPoint slides describing the basics: who he was, where he was murdered and how. The most fascinating part of the whole thing is that he was murdered in broad daylight, yet there are no witnesses. He was killed by a puncture wound to the leg so expertly placed that he had not even realized he was injured until he collapsed from the blood loss through his femoral artery. It was almost as if the killer was trying to show off; and with no witnesses and no video surveillance, the entire table was at a loss. </p><p>It’s during a lull in the conversation that Kara whispers to herself: “it was a woman.”</p><p>“What was that?” Cat asks as the entire table turns to look at Kara. </p><p>“It was a woman,” Kara says with more confidence this time. “Explain” is all Cat says as a response. </p><p>“Well, this kill was very particular and subtle. It was done with precision rather than brute strength, which is common among male killers.” Kara explains. “It shows careful planning and attention to detail, which would align more with a female being behind it” she continues. Cat just hums before standing up and leaving the room, bringing along the rest of the group. Only Kara and Alex remain. “You agree with me right?” Kara asks Alex, who just looks at her before replying “We’ll see if there’s any footage of the area that caught the murder” before leaving the room as well. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena returns to her apartment in Paris after what she would call a job well done. Sam is already there, sitting on her couch, when she walks in. “You did good” is all she says before dropping the stacks of bills on Lena’s coffee table. Lena just smirks because of course she did, she is the best at what she does and both she and Sam know that. Sam rolls her eyes at her. </p><p>“It’s a quick turnaround” Sam says next as Lena picks up the money and feels the weight of it in her hands. </p><p>“How quick?” is Lena’s only reply. </p><p>“Tomorrow, Tuscany” Sam says as she hands Lena the next postcard. “All the information is on there, as usual” she tells Lena as she takes her leave, leaving Lena alone to read up on her next job. </p><p>Lena enters the postcards serial number into her laptop’s encrypted database and finds that her next target is a wealthy mafia boss who is hosting a party tomorrow at his villa. </p><p>She arrives at the party while it’s in full swing. She uses the distraction to go upstairs and look through the closets, she always did have an eye for the finer things in life. She takes a fine blue silk dress and puts it on, admiring herself in the vanity that sits beside the window. As her gaze shifts to the left she spots him. She watches as he dumps a pale of water over a young girl’s head, who she assumes to be his granddaughter. The child runs away crying into the house. Lena wanders through the expansive upstairs until she hears the crying in a room at the end of the hall. She goes inside and finds the young girl attempting to dry her dress. </p><p>“That wasn’t very nice of him was it?” She asks the young girl in her impeccable Italian. In her line of work, it is useful to know multiple languages and accents. The girl just looks up at her with tears brimming her eyes and nods. “Do you want to get back at him?” Lena asks with a sly grin and the girl immediately perks up and nods her head, smiling. </p><p>It’s only about 15 minutes later that the girl has lured her grandfather inside by the promise of a surprise upstairs. Lena tells her to hide in the bathroom until she tells her to come out. The girl runs away giggling at the prospect of pranking her grandfather. </p><p>When he enters the room and sees her, his smile goes from bubbly to predatory as he eyes her up and down. At another time it might have made Lena’s skin crawl, but now, it just makes her excited for what is about to happen. </p><p>“Are you my surprise?” he asks as he stalks towards her with a look in his eye that makes Lena question why anyone would ever be attracted to men. However, she simply smiles and steps into his space as he comes to a stop in front of her. </p><p>She smirks as she pulls the hairpin out of her intricate up do and feels a sense of excitement for an entirely different reason than he appears to. As he’s reaching for her waist she releases the hidden needle from the hairpin and plunges it into his eye, releasing the poison within straight into his bloodstream. He lets out a yell and collapses to his knees. </p><p>“Grandfather, I’m coming out now” she hears the child yell from the bathroom. She looks down at him and smiles. “You should really ask for permission before you touch a person” she tells him before turning and walking out the door to the bedroom. </p><p>As she’s leaving she hears a thud as his body falls the rest of the way to the floor. </p><p>“Grandfather, here I-“she hears before a small gasp escapes the child and she simply fixes the hair that had fallen out of the pin as she walks calmly out of the villa. </p><p>--</p><p>“There’s been another murder” Cat tells them with no preamble. </p><p>“Who? Where? When?” Kara blurts out all at once. Cat just eyes here before speaking to the entire team. “A man thought to be a member of the Italian mafia was killed at his villa in Tuscany, in the middle of a party no less.”</p><p>“Were there any witnesses?” Kara is still running through the new information in her head when Alex asks the questions. </p><p>“The man’s granddaughter said a woman was helping her prank him after he had dumped water all over her new dress. Told us she was hiding in the bathroom and when she came out he was dead with a hairpin lodged in his eye.” Cat tells them as she lays out the photos of the crime scene on the table they’ve all huddled around. The photos are gruesome, displaying the man, lying dead with the hairpin sticking out of his socket.</p><p>“So it was a woman.” Kara says once she’s processed the information. </p><p>“It would appear so” is Cat’s only response. </p><p>Kara can’t help thinking about the man in Paris whose femoral artery was cut so precisely he didn’t notice for nearly a full minute. She’s putting all the pieces together in her mind when she finally looks up at the table and sees everyone looking at her. She looks to Alex who just nods at her before saying “it’s the same person.”</p><p>“Same as what?” It’s Winn who speaks up this time. </p><p>“Whoever killed this man is the same woman that killed the man in Paris.” Kara elaborates. </p><p>“What makes you think that?” Cat is, of course, questioning her. “Besides the fact that we don’t know if it was a woman in Paris, there is nothing to suggest that these two murders are related, no motive that would connect to both of them.”</p><p>“It’s in the style of the kills, the way she seems to taunt anyone that would try to solve either of these cases” Kara explains. “It’s as if she’s saying ‘I can kill them in broad daylight and you still won’t catch me’” Kara finishes before looking up at everyone. Cat has her eyes narrowed, like she’s actually considering Kara’s proposition. “Winn, did we ever get CCTV footage from the first case?” Cat is asking next. </p><p>“No ma’am there was no footage” Winn tells her, eyeing Kara with a look that says “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Then we can’t make any assumptions about the case and will continue to treat these cases separately, there is just no evidence to indicate otherwise” Cat says with an air of finality that leaves no room for debate before walking back into her office. </p><p>Kara feels her chest go hollow, she’s so sure about her conclusion and all she wants is for her boss to see it too. </p><p>“I’m sorry Kara” is all Alex says before going back to her desk. </p><p>Kara walks dejectedly back to her own desk before pulling up both case files and reading through them again, trying to find anything solid that she can bring to Cat to convince her of what she knows is true. </p><p>--</p><p>“Subtle” Sam says as Lena enters her apartment </p><p>“Who’s complaining?” Lena asks as she goes to pour herself some whiskey from the cart she always has stocked in her living room. </p><p>“You don’t need to be attracting unnecessary attention on these jobs” Sam tells her as she watches Lena take a seat on the chair across from her. </p><p>“The job is done, that’s what I’m paid to do” Lena responds as she holds out her hand expectantly. </p><p>Sam just rolls her eyes and reaches over to place the wad of bills in Lena’s outstretched hand. “The press is talking about it too much, we don’t want anyone coming after you. That little girl saw your face.”</p><p>Lena just laughs at the prospect. “No one will ever come after me, I’m too good. I’ve been doing this for years and no one has ever even come close.” She says matter-of-factly before finishing her whiskey and getting up to pour another. “And that girl” she continues “was probably 5 years old, she won’t remember what I look like.”</p><p>“It never hurts to be cautious, MI6 is taking the lead on this one and they have fresh faces we don’t know yet.” Sam explains to uninterested ears. </p><p>“There was a witness in Paris.” Sam says, knowing it will get Lena’s attention. </p><p>Lena pauses with the glass halfway to her lips. “Impossible” is all she says before bringing the glass the rest of the way. </p><p>“Not impossible” Sam continues. “There was a homeless woman in the alley next to where you got him. We need you to go to London to take care of her.”</p><p>“Why on earth is she in London?” Lena furrows her brows. </p><p>“When MI6 heard of her, they flew her out right away in case the killer, you,” she says pointedly “went back to tie up loose ends” Sam tells her before handing her another postcard. “Take care of it, the last thing we need is some dirty street rat of all people being the one to end your lucrative career.” Sam makes her way to the door while saying “and do try to be discreet this time would you?” Lena scoffs and flips her off but the door is already closed and Sam is gone. She rolls her eyes and grabs the bag she hadn’t even unpacked yet before heading out the door herself. </p><p>--</p><p>“What do you mean there was a witness?” Kara is asking as Alex drags her away from her desk and out the door to the bustling streets of London. </p><p>“Exactly that” Alex says as she leads Kara into a nearby coffee shop that they often visit. </p><p>Once they’ve gotten their coffees and, in Kara’s case, her sticky bun, they head over to a table in the corner away from prying ears. Kara just settles Alex with a look that says “Explain.”</p><p>“The Paris police were going over the crime scene again and followed his path back to the most likely location he was stabbed” Alex explains, “and they found that it was right in front of an alley where they found a woman sleeping.”</p><p>“And she saw everything?” Kara questions, excitement beginning to fill her for reasons other than the sticky bun sitting in front of her. </p><p>“Well she was drunk out of her mind when they found her so they brought her to a hospital here in London to keep her safe while she sobers up enough to talk to us.” Alex tells her, laughing at the way Kara is clearly incapable of hiding her excitement. </p><p>Kara stops practically vibrating in her seat long enough to ask “So who gets to talk to her?” Secretly crossing her fingers under the table that it’s her. </p><p>“You.” Alex replies. </p><p>She laughs at the sight of Kara’s eyes practically bugging out of her head. “Really?” Kara squeaks, she didn’t think crossing your fingers actually worked.  </p><p>“Yeah, Cat told me to tell you to go wait at the hospital with her, she said she wanted one of our own keeping an eye on her.” </p><p>Kara looks forlornly at the sticky bun sitting in front of her. Alex just laughs and says “You can finish your sticky bun before you go, apparently it’s going to be a while before she’s anywhere close to giving a statement.” She laughs again at the way Kara instantly perks up and begins devouring her food. </p><p>--</p><p>It’s a few hours later and Kara finds herself anxiously waiting for their witness to wake up and give her statement. While she waits, Kara goes through both the case files she has open in front of her. She can’t shake the feeling that these murders are somehow connected. She needs Cat to believe her and she’s really hoping that this statement will be the first step towards that. </p><p>Her eyes snap up and away from the files in front of her when the heart monitor next to her begins beeping more rapidly, indicating their witness is awake.  A nurse comes in to check on the woman in the bed and then gestures for Kara to follow him outside. Once the door is closed he turns to Kara and says “She’s awake and responsive, I would give her a few minutes to really wake up before starting questioning, she was pretty out of it when she fell asleep and might be disoriented.” Kara thanks him and slips back into the room. </p><p>The woman on the bed is eyeing her with slight trepidation on her face. Kara just smiles and takes her seat back beside the bed. </p><p>“Hello” Kara puts on her softest smile in an attempt to ease any tension the woman may be feeling. “Do you know where you are?” She asks. </p><p>When the woman looks around the room and shakes her head, Kara just smiles again and tells her she’s in London because she may have information that is very valuable to UK intelligence. When the woman furrows her eyebrows in a look of confusion, Kara shows her a photo from the scene in Paris where the man was killed. </p><p>A look of understanding seems to pass over the woman’s face before she finally speaks to say “Still don’t know how she managed to do it.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes go wide. She. The woman had definitely said she. Kara was right and this was all the confirmation she needed to know her theory was true. She tries to reign in her excitement to continue her questioning.</p><p>“Can you recall what she looked like?” Kara finds herself asking the woman. </p><p>She looks Kara up and down and says “Blonde, pretty thin.”</p><p>Kara sighs, that’s not much to go on, but the confirmation that it was a woman is enough to keep her spirits up. </p><p>“I am going to step outside for a moment, try and remember any other details about this woman while I’m gone.” She waits for a nod before leaving the room. </p><p>She heads to the bathroom, still processing all the new information she has just received. While she was so sure she was right, the blatant confirmation is sending a wave of excitement through her she was not expecting. It’s almost like confirmation that she belongs at this job, and that itself has her grinning. </p><p>When she looks in the mirror, she sees evidence of a long and stressful day. The bags under her eyes indicate the serious lack of sleep she has been getting lately and her hair is unruly. As she’s attempting to comb through it with her fingers a woman, a nurse she guesses, based on the uniform she’s wearing, comes out of the stall behind her. Kara looks at her through the mirror and her breath hitches. The woman is looking right back at her reflection and she can’t remember the last time she had seen eyes so bright. </p><p>The woman steps up to the sink next to Kara and begins washing her hands. Kara tears her eyes away from that impossible jawline and begins attempting to control her hair again. She can feel the woman glance at her a couple of times and it takes everything in her not to look over as well. When the woman finishes and is about to exit, she pauses and looks at Kara again. “Leave it down” is all she says in a neat British accent she’s grown accustomed to hearing from the people here, before finally leaving the bathroom. </p><p>Kara has her eyes glued to the door where the mysterious woman just left before she turns back to her own reflection. She drops the hair in her hands she had been about to put up in a ponytail and gently combs through her soft blonde waves again. She doesn’t know why she is listening to this stranger but the thought of putting her hair up right now seems wrong. So she leaves it down and washes her hands just for something to do while she lets her heart rate calm down a little bit. </p><p>When she exits the bathroom, something feels off. There’s a sense of silence and foreboding in the air that wasn’t there when she went in. She turns down the hall the witness’ room is in and has to muffle her scream. There in the hall is the nurse from before laying in a pool of his own blood that seems to be coming from multiple stab wounds on his chest, the police officer assigned to protect their witness lies next to him in his own puddle of blood. She turns her head and finds two other nurses in similar positions at the other end of the hall. </p><p>A sense of panic washes over her as she runs to the witness’ room only to find her gasping for breath as blood oozes from a large gash on her throat. Kara rushes over and puts pressure on the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. </p><p>“Help!” Kara yells, although she doubts anyone will hear her. </p><p>She turns back to the woman when she grabs at Kara’s wrist. It seems like she is trying to tell Kara something and Kara encourages her with a “Yes? What is it?” before the woman’s eyes go blank and her head lolls to the side. </p><p>Kara yells her frustration as she pulls her hands away and runs them, bloodied, through her hair. </p><p>--</p><p>It feels like hours later that she’s in Cat’s office with Alex by her side explaining what happened at the hospital, though in reality, it’s actually only 30 minutes. </p><p>“Help me understand how three nurses, a police officer and our only witness were murdered without you even noticing.” Cat has her glasses off and her hands rubbing at each of her temples. Kara winces at her tone. </p><p>“I went into the bathroom for a moment and when I came out they were all just dead, there was no noise or commotion of any kind, I don’t know who could have gotten to them all that fast” Kara explains with a note of desperation in her voice that has Cat opening her eyes and looking up at her. Alex keeps her hand on Kara’s shoulder and she’s grateful for the grounding force her sister always seems to supply. </p><p>“Before I went into the bathroom though, I did get to speak to the witness and she confirmed that it was a woman that she saw kill him” Kara is quick to get out before Cat can begin yelling. That, at least, has Cat pausing in whatever string of insults she was about to throw Kara’s way. </p><p>“Miss. Danvers” Cat says looking at Alex, “would you please give me and your sister a moment alone to speak.”</p><p>Kara instantly goes rigid, nervous to be facing Cat without Alex there for support. Alex just looks at Kara before nodding and leaving the room, closing the door softly behind her. </p><p>Kara watches her go before slowly turning around, ready to face whatever wrath Cat is about the throw her way. When she turns however, Cat has a contemplative look on her face. </p><p>“I knew I saw something in you Danvers” is all she says and it’s enough to turn the look of fear on Kara’s face into one of confusion.</p><p>“I’m sorry ma’am, what?” she finds herself asking. </p><p>Cat doesn’t explain, just turns around, opens the safe behind her desk and pulls out a rather thick file that she then plops on the desk between them. </p><p>“Sit” she commands and Kara immediately obeys. </p><p>“We suspect she’s been working for 2 years undetected. All murders seemingly unconnected.” She is telling Kara, which only confuses Kara further. </p><p>“What are you telling me here, Ms. Grant?” She finds herself asking. </p><p>Cat looks up with a smirk on her face. “You were right in your assumption, we believe a woman has been working for years, killing people one would not normally think were connected and with no clear motivation. The only thing we find connecting them is the style in which their murders are carried out.” Kara can’t believe what she’s hearing. </p><p>“So you’re saying I was right?” she can’t help but ask. </p><p>Cat actually smiles at that. “Yes, each of the murders in this file were done in a way that seemed to scream ‘you can’t catch me,’ which is exactly what we’ve been trying to do for months now.”</p><p>Kara is dumbstruck, looking through the file, she can see what Cat is talking about, each murder seems to be more grandiose than the last. She looks up at her boss and asks the question that’s been on the tip of her tongue since Cat pulled out the file. </p><p>“Why are you telling me all this?”</p><p>Cat closes the file and puts it back in her safe. “Because you’re going to help me catch her.”</p><p>Kara must not have heard her right. “Like a private task force?” she asks. </p><p>“Yes, I need a team I can trust to follow through with this, she’s been evading us for too long and we need to put a stop to it.”</p><p>Kara, trying to contain her excitement asks “can I pick the team?”</p><p>Cat just eyes her for a second before replying “sure, two people, but only ones you know you can trust.”</p><p>Kara grins widely at that, “I know just the two.”</p><p>--</p><p>Sam isn’t there this time when Lena walks into her apartment. It feels like she hasn’t actually lived in the place in months, always being sent off all over the place. She walks over to her drink cart and pours herself a healthy amount of whiskey before draining it in one go and immediately pouring herself another. She grabs the stack of cash and postcard waiting for her on her coffee table and goes to power on her laptop. </p><p>She sees her next location is in Bulgaria and enters the hidden code from the postcard into her computers database to begin reading up on her next job. As she’s reading through the file on her laptop, her mind keeps drifting to blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that definitely looks better down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow! Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! I wasn't expecting it but it sure meant a lot. I wanted to get the next chapter out there quick, but I think going forward, provided people are still interested, I'll be posting about once a week. I need some time to really plan where I want this thing to go. Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena is sitting at a table outside a coffee shop in Bulgaria, just taking in her surroundings, a look of disdain on her face. She doesn’t understand people and their constant hurry to get places. She takes a sip of her coffee and grimaces, adding some whiskey from the flask in her bag before taking another sip, humming with contentment this time. She glances at her watch, wondering how much longer she’d have to sit here waiting. When she looks back up, the office building she’s sitting across from has begun emptying, people filing out as the work day comes to a close. She drains the rest of her cup and strides across the street towards the entrance. </p><p>She takes the elevator up to the correct floor and finds him, she hadn’t bothered remembering his name, still sitting at his desk, just like the file indicated; people are so predictable. As she walks towards him, she screws the silencer on her pistol. She could just shoot him now before he notices her, but something makes her want him to see her, wants him to know what’s happening. So, she places the end of her gun at the base of his skull and watches him flinch. </p><p>“Turn” is all she says. </p><p>He begins slowly turning towards her with his hands in the air and when he’s fully facing her she can see the obvious fear written all over his face. His eyes are wide and his temples are already collecting beads of sweat. </p><p>“Please” he begs “what do you want, I’ll give you anything.”</p><p>Lena just cocks her head to the side, remaining silent and he visibly gulps. </p><p>“I have a family. A wife, kids!” he’s telling her. Lena is confused by this. Is this supposed to make her not want to kill him? Why on earth would she care about his family?</p><p>When she still remains silent he seems to turn desperate, reaching behind him and throwing a stapler at her head. It hits her right above her eyebrow, she can feel the blood dripping from the gash it creates. The act is enough to shock her for a second while he bolts the opposite direction. Lena just rolls her eyes and shoots him in the leg and he collapses with a yell. </p><p>She waltzes over to him and crouches down beside him as he bleeds all over the ugly gray carpet of the office floor. He looks up at her with a mixture of pain and fear. </p><p>“Why are you doing this?” he asks her. </p><p>Lena just rolls her eyes. “Because I was told to.” She finally answers him. </p><p>“You don’t have to do this, you can let me go, I won’t tell anyone I swear” he pleads. </p><p>At this, she narrows her eyes “I know I don’t have to” she says as if it’s obvious, “but I want to.” She schools him with a deadly smirk that has him attempting to drag himself away from her, as if he has anywhere to go. She’s had enough of him now and quickly shoots him in the back of the head. He goes limp as blood pools around him.</p><p>Lena lets out a huff as she sits in a nearby desk chair, a look of complete boredom on her face. She feels off. It’s not that she regrets killing him, because why would she? She’s not sure what it is that has her feeling this way. Maybe she just needs some fresh excitement in her life. </p><p>At that thought, her mind drifts to the woman from the hospital, she thinks of the hair the woman would’ve done a disservice by putting up. It’s this thought that has her lips turning up in a barely-there smile as the man continues to bleed out on the floor in front of her. </p><p>--</p><p>Kara can hardly contain her excitement as she heads over to the address Cat had texted her the night before. She still can barely believe the events of the past 24 hours. She was so sure she was getting fired when Cat had asked Alex to leave in order to speak with her privately. Her wildest dreams wouldn’t have put her on a secret task force investigating the woman she was so sure had killed those two men. </p><p>But here she is. Alex can barely keep up with her she’s walking so fast, anxious to get to their destination and get to work. Of course Alex was the first one she went to after Cat said she could include two others on the team. When they round the corner to the street Cat had written down she sees Winn waiting outside the building, her obvious next choice. </p><p>The three of them wait another 5 minutes before Cat rounds the corner on the opposite end of the street, she’s walking down the sidewalk like she owns the whole street. Kara instinctively stands up straighter as she approaches them. Cat pulls out a key, unlocks the door and turns to them. “Well come on, I don’t have all day” she says before disappearing inside the building. The three of them scramble to follow her inside and up the stairs. </p><p>Once upstairs, Cat unlocks another door that leads to a small office with 4 desks and a corkboard filled with photos, police reports and red string. Kara immediately goes to inspect the board. There’s dozens of murders up there, from all over Europe and Asia. Kara stares wide eyed trying to take it all in. </p><p>It’s Cat speaking that breaks her out of her trance. “We have another drawer full of files we suspect to be her doing, those are just the most prominent ones” she says as she gestures to the board Kara was staring at.  </p><p>“How many murders do you suspect she’s behind?” Kara asks with a sense of wonder in her tone. Alex and Winn just share a look of confusion. </p><p>“Never actually counted” is Cat’s reply, “don’t think I really want to know actually.”</p><p>“So what’s actually going on here?” It’s Alex that asks the question.</p><p>Cat turns to look at her and smirks before turning to Kara with an expectant look. </p><p>“Me?” Kara questions with wide eyes, “why me?”</p><p>“You were in the hospital when she attacked and you spoke to the witness” Cat replies easily. </p><p>Kara swallows her nerves and turns back to the board, her eyes darting around taking in the details of each murder before she squares her shoulders and turns back to her colleagues. They are all watching her, waiting for her to begin. She looks each one of them in the eye before starting to fill in Alex and Winn on what her and Cat have concluded. </p><p>“We believe the men in both Paris and Tuscany were killed by the same person…same woman” she amends. Alex and Winn give her a look telling her to continue.</p><p>“Not only them though, we believe she is connected to a string of assassinations all across Europe and Asia. It seems like she’s been working for around 2 years going completely undetected.”</p><p>“So where do we come into this?” is Winn’s question when Kara pauses to gauge their reactions. </p><p>“We’re going to catch her” Kara states definitively. “Only the four of us know about her and we’re going to leave it that way while we investigate. Too many people could create a scene and we don’t want to tip her off to our work or even our knowledge of her.” She looks over at Cat to get her reaction and sees just the slightest uptick in the corner of her mouth, indicating that Kara did well. She breathes out in relief at that. </p><p>Alex has just been eyeing her through her whole speech, a look in her eyes that Kara recognizes all too well; she’s excited. “So what do we know?” Alex asks Kara directly, a look of pride mixing with the excitement in her eyes. </p><p>Kara smiles and opens the file to the Paris case. “He was killed by a puncture in the upper thigh that sliced the femoral artery, it was so expertly placed he didn’t even realize he was bleeding until he was collapsing from the blood loss” Kara starts with what they all know. “The initial stabbing appeared to take place in front of this alley” she points to a photo from the file “and a woman was found there, sleeping, by Paris police when they went back to the scene. She was brought to a hospital in London with a police guarding her until we could speak with her” she fills in. <br/>“When I finally got to speak with her the only thing she said to me was ‘still don’t know how she managed to do it’ and then described the woman as blonde and thin” Kara looks up from the file, then, to find the three of them looking at the photos and listening intently. She smiles to herself. </p><p>“I then left to go to the bathroom and let her try and think of any more details of the woman’s appearance and when I came out, three nurses, the police officer and the witness were dead; murdered.” Kara takes a deep breath remembering the scene she left the bathroom to find. </p><p>She looks around at their faces and sees a variation from horrified to impressed. They look up at her then, as if expecting her to go on and she just shrugs. “That’s all there is to tell.” It’s not much, in fact, it’s just about nothing, but none of them want to say that out loud. </p><p>“Is there nothing else?” Alex is asking, “Did you see anyone or anything else on your way to the bathroom?”</p><p>That’s when Kara immediately remembers green eyes and a strong jawline. Remembers the way the woman had said “leave it down” when Kara had been about to put her hair up. She still isn’t entirely sure why she listened. It was probably because the strong way the woman had said it left Kara feeling like there was no alternative other than listening to her. </p><p>“Yes, actually” she says, with maybe a little too much excitement in her voice. They look at her, waiting for an explanation. </p><p>“There was a woman, a nurse, in the bathroom with me, she wasn’t among the dead when I left” Kara tells them. “Maybe she saw something” she turns to Winn now, “Can you get me photos and names of all the nurses on staff last night?” she asks. </p><p>He looks around at the three women eyeing him expectantly before replying “Who do you think you’re asking here?” with a cocky smirk and head tilt at the end. </p><p>“Good, get to it” is Cat’s reply. He nods quickly and scurries over to the nearest desk and begins typing away. </p><p>Cat then turns to Kara and Alex, “I want the two of you going through these files and looking for anything that could possibly connect any of them” she instructs. </p><p>It’s Alex that speaks up next, “You don’t think she’s acting alone,” it’s a statment. It had gone unspoken between Kara and Cat until now. </p><p>“No” they both say at the same time, however it’s Cat that continues “I believe she’s working for a larger organization that’s behind hundreds of assassinations around the world.”</p><p>Kara is nodding along with her, “Yeah, and finding her is the key to finding the organization behind all these attacks” she adds. </p><p>“Well then we better get working” Alex says and grabs a pile of files to bring over to one of the other desks in the room. </p><p>With Winn and Alex working, Cat levels Kara with a silent look that tells her how important it is that they find this woman before turning and taking a seat herself. So that’s exactly what Kara gets to working on. She takes a seat at the last remaining desk and starts flipping through files, trying to get those eyes out of her head. Now is not the time to develop a crush on a nurse from her crime scene. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena returns to her apartment late. She’s exhausted. As good as she is at what she does, three countries in three days is enough to even have her beat. </p><p>Sam, of course, is waiting in her living room drinking a glass of scotch. </p><p>“Help yourself” Lena says drily. Sam just smiles “I already did” she says with mirth in her voice. Lena flips her off before pouring herself a glass and collapsing on the couch beside Sam. </p><p>“Tired?” Sam is asking her. Lena just looks at her briefly before taking a sip without answering. Sam laughs before asking “So I guess you don’t want another job?” </p><p>“I’ll take the next one” is Lena’s only reply. </p><p>Sam just frowns, it’s unlike Lena to turn down a job. “Did everything go alright in Bulgaria?” she asks. </p><p>“It was fine, I’m just tired” Lena says shortly. </p><p>Sam has a look like she’s thinking hard about something before she’s asking “Do you need to see the therapist? Get another psych test?” </p><p>“Fuck no” Lena scoffs before draining her glass and getting up to pour another. Sam laughs and says “Good, I didn’t want to sit through that either.  Is there something you want to talk to me about though” she asks, her amused face turning to one of concern. “Is this about Lex?” she dares to question. </p><p>Lena snaps her eyes over to her handler, eyes cold as steel. “No” she spits out, but if the way she downs the drink she had only just poured is any indication, Sam thinks she might have hit the nail on the head. She doesn’t comment though, when Lena wants to deny something there’s no getting her to talk. </p><p>“Why are you always in my apartment” Lena changes the subject. “Don’t you have your own couch to sit on and your own scotch to drink?” At that, Sam laughs. </p><p>“Of course, but my place doesn’t have such lively company” she quips, smiling. It at least pulls a chuckle out of Lena as she goes to sit back down beside Sam on the couch. Sam’s expression turns serious again “You know I’m here if you ever need to talk, I may be your handler but I’d also like to consider myself your friend” she tells Lena. </p><p>Lena looks at her, her expression softening just the slightest bit at the woman beside her. She’s grateful to have Sam in her life, because if she didn’t she would literally have no one now. </p><p>“Yeah I know” she finds herself saying, “If there’s something to talk about I’ll let you know.”</p><p>Sam takes that as a win and settles further back into the couch. Both she and Lena stare at the wall opposite them as they continue to nurse their drinks. </p><p>“You should start dating” Sam is randomly saying a few minutes later. Lena nearly chokes on her drink as she begins coughing. Sam is just looking at her, amused, waiting for Lena’s breathing to settle. </p><p>“Excuse me?” Lena is asking incredulously once she’s finally caught her breath. </p><p>“You heard me” Sam says easily, “You should find yourself a nice girl so that I’m not the one you’re coming home to at night.”</p><p>“Or you could stop showing up randomly at my apartment” Lena offers. </p><p>Sam just gives her a look that tells Lena that will never happen. </p><p>“I don’t want someone to come home to” Lena says convincingly, even as her mind starts to drift to blonde hair again. She shakes her head to get the image out, she’s really got to cool it with that. </p><p>“Well fine” Sam talking snaps Lena out of her own head, “Then just get laid or something, you’re getting way too uptight” she complains “It’s barely even fun to annoy you anymore.”</p><p>“I’m just bored” Lena finally admits. </p><p>That has Sam sitting up and turning to face her. “Bored?” She questions. </p><p>Lena turns her body as well until she’s facing Sam. “Yeah” is all she says. When Sam just continues to look at her she sighs, looks down at her lap, and continues, “I don’t know what it is, but the job in Bulgaria just didn’t do it for me like it usually does. He was begging and screaming, he might have even pissed himself” she chuckles, before turning serious again. “But I just found myself indifferent, and not in the way I usually am about killing, I just felt nothing, no joy, no excitement. Nothing.” She finishes before looking back up at Sam. </p><p>“Well shit” comes Sam’s reply, which draws a soft laugh out of Lena. </p><p>“Yeah” she agrees before she makes a decision. “You know what, I will take that job, maybe working will pull me out of this funk.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Sam questions her, already pulling the postcard out of her bag. </p><p>“It certainly can’t hurt” Lena replies as she takes the card from Sam’s hand, already getting up to walk over to her laptop. </p><p>Sam just watches her before patting her hands on both knees and standing up as well. She gathers her bag and leaves the cash on the coffee table as always. </p><p>“I’ll see you when you get back” she calls to Lena on her way out. Lena just gives her a half-hearted wave over her shoulder, not even looking up from her computer where she already has the details of the next job pulled up. Sam laughs and leaves, closing the door behind her. </p><p>A job will do her good, Lena tells herself. Bulgaria was just a fluke, this next job will be back to normal as if nothing happened. She has to believe it. She also has to focus on her laptop in order to keep her mind from wandering to a certain woman who has capitalized on her thoughts as of late. A fact she is definitely not ready to interpret just yet. </p><p>--</p><p>They’ve been going through files for hours and Kara can feel her eyes burning from overuse. She looks up and notices that it is now dark outside, they must have been here longer than she thought. She stretches her back against the back of her chair and feels her joints popping. She looks around and sees Winn, Alex and Cat in similar positions before feeling her stomach growl, realizing she hasn’t eaten since lunch, which at this point was close to 8 hours ago. </p><p>“We should stop and have some dinner” she says to the room. </p><p>Alex lets out a soft chuckle “I was wondering when you were going to suggest food.” Kara just gives her a sheepish smile as her stomach growls again. </p><p>“I’ll go grab something for us, what does everyone want?” Alex asks, eyeing the three of them. </p><p>“Pizza and potstickers” Kara replies immediately. Alex looks to Winn and Cat to see if they’re okay with that. When they both nod, she gets up and starts to put on her coat. </p><p>“I’ll come with you” Winn says as he stands from his chair as well “I need to get out of this room. </p><p>Once they’re gone and the door is shut behind them, Kara turns to Cat, who has her head back against the chair and her eyes closed. </p><p>“Do you think we’ll catch her?” she finds herself asking. </p><p>Cat just lets out a hum, not bothering to open up her eyes. Kara looks at her with her eyebrows raised for a second before Cat finally opens her eyes and turns to face Kara, an unreadable expression on her face. </p><p>“I think we have to” Cat eventually replies. </p><p>When Kara just furrows her eyebrows Cat lets out a huff before sitting up straight again and pulling out the file closest to her. She thumbs through it, looking at all the pictures carefully. </p><p>“We have to, because if murders like this keep happening and we don’t catch her, what does that say about us? About MI6? If we can’t do our jobs right, what’s the point in doing it at all?” Cat asks as she levels Kara will a cool gaze. </p><p>Kara just swallows and looks down. Cat is right, what would be the point? They have a job to do and dammit they’re going to do it. She looks up, face set in determination. </p><p>“We will” she says with a definitive nod. </p><p>With a smirk Cat looks away and just hums again. </p><p>Alex and Winn return a few minutes later with two pizza boxes and several orders of potstickers. Kara’s mouth waters at the sight before she’s digging into the first pizza and stuffing potstickers in her mouth as though she hasn’t eaten in days. </p><p>They eat in silence until they’ve all had their fill, Kara too busy stuffing her face to talk anyway. When they’ve all finished their food, Kara turns to Winn and asks “Did you get the list of nurses working at the hospital last night?”</p><p>Winn perks up at that. “I did actually” he says as he’s turning back to his laptop, pulling up what she assumes is the list before turning away from the computer and gesturing for her to take a look. She rolls her chair over to his desk and begins scrolling through the list of nurses photos that were on call when the murders took place. She makes it to the end of the list and sighs. </p><p>“I don’t recognize any of them” she says dejectedly, a solid frown on her face. </p><p>Alex comes up beside her and looks at the screen with her. “Are you sure?” she’s asking “maybe you didn’t get a good enough look at her face in the bathroom. Kara snorts, that’s not likely. She doesn’t think she could forget that face if she tried, but she doesn’t need them knowing that, so she just replies “Maybe.”</p><p>“I think it’s best if we call it a night” Cat tells them as she stands and gathers her things from her desk “We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow and I want everyone to have a fresh head.”</p><p>They all murmur their agreements and silently gather their own things before heading out the door and letting Cat lock up. When they get outside they bid each other goodnight and head off, all intent on getting at least a couple hours of sleep that night. </p><p>--</p><p>It’s dark when Lena gets back to her apartment, a sense of déjà vu hitting her from the night before. Although this time, Sam is not waiting for her on the couch. She lets out a breath of relief. She loves Sam, but just the thought of interacting with another person right now exhausts her. She kicks off her heels by the front door and pads over to the kitchen. The thought of cooking right now has her pinching her nose in disgust, so she grabs some leftovers out of the fridge that she hopes are still good. </p><p>The job had gone well, better than Bulgaria, and for that, she is grateful. She knew it was only a one-time thing. She was just tired from all the quick turnarounds. That was it. Having this last job right here in Paris again made it even easier. She loves jobs at home, no travel and she’s guaranteed to sleep in her own bed that night. </p><p>The thought of her bed has her smiling as the microwave beeps indicating her food is done. She’s just about to lift the fork to her mouth when her front door opens and she hears the sound of Sam coming through the hall. She sighs. One night, was that too much to ask?</p><p>Apparently so, because Sam is talking as soon as she finds Lena leaning up against her kitchen counter. “Someone’s onto you” is all she says. It’s enough to make Lena scoff. </p><p>“I’m serious” Sam continues “there’s a woman, an MI6 agent, in London who is leading a task force whose sole purpose is catching you.”</p><p>“I’d like to see her try” Lena replies haughtily, which causes Sam to roll her eyes. </p><p>“Do what you want with the information, but the woman, someone named Kara Danvers, is quite intent on catching you. She already has you connected to both Paris and Tuscany” Sam tells her.</p><p>That piques Lena’s interest slightly, no one has ever suggested two of her kills were done by the same person before. Still, she’s not concerned and she certainly doesn’t think this Kara Danvers woman will get anywhere in her investigation. </p><p>When Lena doesn’t reply, just continues to eat the food she had heated, Sam sighs again and turns to take her leave before turning around one last time “Just be careful will you? We don’t need to give this woman any help” she insists before leaving the apartment and Lena lets out a breath when she’s alone again. </p><p>Curious as to who this woman is that thinks she can catch her, Lena finishes her food and grabs her laptop before bringing it to her bed. She gets herself comfortable before searching ‘Kara Danvers’ in her search engine and hitting enter. There are thousands of results, ranging from birth announcements to obituaries. Lena’s scrolling through the results, none of them seeming likely to be the person Sam was talking about. Until she finds a link to a Facebook post from an Alex Danvers. It leads to a photo from about 6 months ago. It appears to be a going away party of some sort. It’s a group photo and they all have their arms around each other. There’s a woman with short cropped brown hair, a younger woman with long dark hair, a tall man with a bald head and a shorter man with shoulder length brown hair. None of them are even on her radar, though. Her eyes zone in on the last person in the photo. A tall woman smiling wide at the camera with blue eyes and the same blonde hair that she hasn’t been able to get out of her head for the past several days. Her eyes go wide and she sucks in a breath. </p><p>“Shit.”</p><p>--</p><p>It’s later that night that has Kara tossing and turning in her bed. She just can’t get her mind to rest. She sits up against her headboard and pulls out her laptop, the bright screen making her squint her eyes until they adjust. She’s scrolling through the list of nurses, sure that she had missed something earlier. She knows she didn’t forget the womans face, she could recite every intricate detail for anyone right now. From the sharp cut of her jaw, the lips painted an enticing shade of red and those eyes. Eyes that seemed to see into Kara’s very soul. She shakes her head, trying to prevent her thoughts from straying. </p><p>“What am I missing?” she’s asking herself. She scrolls through the list one more time before sighing and putting her head in her hands. It’s a few moments later that has her looking up into the darkness of her room, a thoughtful expression on her face. </p><p>She picks up her phone and checks the time, 2 in the morning. She calls Alex anyway, pretty sure her sister isn’t sleeping either right now. </p><p>“You too?” is how Alex answers the phone. </p><p>“Yeah, couldn’t sleep, my mind wouldn’t stop racing” Kara responds.</p><p>“I know the feeling, just staring into the abyss huh?” is Alex’s next question. </p><p>Kara lets out a breath. “No” she responds before pausing, Alex doesn’t say anything so she continues. </p><p>“I -“ she starts, unsure of the next words coming out of her mouth. </p><p> “I think I’ve met her.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again, thank you so much for your comments and kudos! They really mean a lot. I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it. I have a bit of a clearer picture of where I want this to go, but it's still up in the air a little bit so, if there's anything you'd like to see specifically, just let me know! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara is met with silence, lasting several minutes, on the other end of the phone. She’s beginning to think Alex either didn’t hear her or hung up. A quick glance down at her phone confirms the call is still connected, so she waits a few more moments for Alex to speak while her heart hammers away in her chest. The weight of her realization really starting to sink in. “Al-“ she starts before she is cut off.</p><p>“What do you mean you think you’ve met her?” Alex’s voice is calm and steady. </p><p>“The nurse I met in the bathroom, I don’t think she was a nurse at all, I think it was her” Kara explains. Saying it out loud makes her heart pick up its pace. The knowledge that the face she couldn’t get out of her head for the past several days could actually be their assassin sits strangely in her chest. “It would explain why she wasn’t on the on call list Winn showed us, and how she wasn’t among the dead even though she left the bathroom only a few minutes before me” Kara continues. </p><p>Alex lets out a breath over the phone “So she can kill four people and completely leave the scene in the time it takes you to wash your hands” She lets out a dry chuckle “Great.”</p><p>That fact weighs heavily on Kara, it is the first time she’s really thought of it that way since her startling realization. She knew that they were working with a highly skilled killer, but this is something else entirely, she couldn’t have been in that bathroom more than 2 minutes after the woman left. </p><p>“Cat has a sketch artist on staff” Alex’s speaking pulls her out of her thoughts “do you think you’d be able to give a detailed enough description of her?”</p><p>Kara laughs, she doesn’t mean to, it just slips out at hearing the question. She could describe that face in greater detail than a sketch artist could ever possibly require. But Alex doesn’t know that, so she clears her throat in an attempt to cover up her laughter before replying “Yeah, I think I could do that.”</p><p>After a few restless hours of sleep, Kara finds herself back at the office with Cat and Alex. The sketch artist seated across from her, getting his supplies ready. When he looks up at her expectantly she freezes. For some reason, the thought of describing the woman whose been taking up a majority of her thoughts as of late gives her pause. The last several days, her thoughts had stuck strictly to two women: their mysterious assassin and the beautiful nurse. Knowing that these two women are actually one and the same has her mind reeling. </p><p>Alex must mistake her hesitation for nervousness and tries to reassure her “Hey, just close your eyes and try to give as many details as you can remember, anything you can give us will help right now.”</p><p>Kara just nods and does as Alex told her. She closes her eyes and finally lets her mind drift to that time in the bathroom. When the woman had come out of the stall and caused Kara to cease all movement in order to just stare at her through the mirror. </p><p>“She had dark hair” she starts, and the sketch artist begins drawing immediately at her words. “It was up in a loose, low bun. She was young, maybe 26 or 27. Her jaw was defined, sharp, like it could cut glass. She had high cheekbones and perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Her eyes were bright. Green and deep, like she could see straight into your soul. Like with one look she knew everything about you. She also looked distant, like even though she’s right there, she is completely inaccessible to everyone around her.”</p><p>When she finishes, she opens her eyes and looks at the three people seated in front of her. Alex is looking at her with confusion before she just raises her eyebrows with a knowing look. Kara pointedly looks down at her lap then. The sketch artist has a similar look of confusion as he looks back and forth with his eyes between herself and Cat. Cat, however, has a totally unreadable expression on her face. She’s looking at Kara as if she’s trying to decipher one of their more complicated cases before she turns to the artist and asks “Do you have what you need?” He just looks between them once more and nods his head, getting back to work on the sketch. </p><p>Kara can feel heat rising up her neck and to her cheeks. She pointedly avoids eye contact with either of the two women in the room. It’s then, thank god, that Winn comes barging into the room, a box on donuts in his hand. “I brought breakfast!” he’s saying excitedly before looking up from the pastries in his hand to survey the room. His eyes land on the sketch artist and he looks between Cat, Alex and Kara.</p><p>“What’d I miss?” </p><p>--</p><p>Lena is walking down the street heading toward her next job with a sense of purpose in her step. When Sam had called her asking if she wanted to go to Berlin, Lena jumped at the chance to get out of her apartment. Which is strange considering she was so desperate to slow down not even 24 hours ago. But it had started to feel like the walls of her apartment were closing in on her and she felt suffocated from her new discovery. Now, though, she feels like this is exactly the kind of excitement she was so desperate for during her job in Bulgaria. </p><p>She arrives at her destination, a small dentist’s office with a sign in the window with the image of a smiling tooth. She pauses and grimaces at the image. When she enters the office, she tells the receptionist that she was hired as a temp to fill in for one of their hygienists. </p><p>“What’s your name?” the woman asks, not bothering to look up at Lena as she continues to type away on the computer in front of her. </p><p>Lena pauses at the question before a slow smirk makes its way onto her face; let the excitement begin. </p><p>“Kara Danvers” she tells her. </p><p>The only indication the woman heard her is the uncommitted hum she lets out before she’s handing Lena a badge and telling her to go in the back to wait for patients. </p><p>Lena gives her a sarcastic smile before grabbing the badge and going in the back to find her station. </p><p>It’s only 10 minutes later until the woman is sitting in the chair beside her, talking on the phone in German. Lena just stares at her until the woman turns to her, covers the microphone on her phone and tells Lena she doesn’t have all day. Lena just gives her the best fake smile she can muster and wheels her chair over to the woman’s right side. “You’ll need to put your phone away” she says in perfect German. The woman rolls her eyes before hanging up. </p><p>Lena goes through the motions of putting the bib around the woman’s neck and asking her what flavor toothpaste she would like. The woman just rolls her eyes, stating that she doesn’t care and once again asking Lena to hurry up. </p><p>Having had enough of this woman already, Lena closes the door to the room, grabs the scaler off the tool tray and, without any preamble, stabs it right into the side of the woman’s neck. Wide eyes look up at her as the woman thrashes in the chair. But Lena holds her still and rips the tool out of her neck, watching the blood drain from the woman in front of her. </p><p>She then wipes the scaler off on the corner of the woman’s bib not already covered in blood and replaces it on the tray. With a small smile, Lena leaves the room, closing the door behind her and makes her way back towards the receptionist’s desk. </p><p>She’s out the door and back in the Berlin sun with a smirk playing at her lips. </p><p>Your move Kara Danvers, she thinks as she places sunglasses on her face and starts strolling back in the direction of her hotel. </p><p>--</p><p>“You’re going to Berlin” Cat says as she reenters the office a few hours later. “There’s been another murder and I want you to go to the scene this time” she says without looking up from her phone. </p><p>“Who exactly are you talking to?” Alex asks when Cat makes no move to elaborate further. </p><p>Cat actually looks up at this. “The two of you” she gestures to Alex and Kara, “I need Winn here doing whatever it is he does on that computer all day.”</p><p>“Well, actually I’m-“ Winn starts before Cat cuts him off. </p><p>“That was not an invitation for an explanation” she tells him before turning back to Kara and Alex. Winn just nods awkwardly before turning back to his computer.</p><p>Kara’s head is spinning. She’s never gotten to go out in the field for a case before and the nerves and excitement are building in parallel while Cat explains what happened. </p><p>“A woman was killed in a dentist’s office, stabbed in the neck with one of those scrapey things” Cat tells them with a grimace. </p><p>“Actually, they’re called –“ Winn starts before he’s cut off by a glare from Cat. He quickly ducks his head and swivels his chair so he’s out of her line of sight. </p><p>“Anyway” Cat continues, “I need you to go to the scene and see what information you can gather, it’s not enough to just connect these kills to one person, we need to work on actually figuring out who she is, who she’s working for and why they want all these people dead. I need you on a plane in 2 hours so you better go home and pack, I’ll have Winn send the information to these secure lines.” She tells them as she hands both of them new phones. “Now go” Cat tells them with a wave of her hand. They both rush up and out of the office as quickly as they can. </p><p>Four hours later, they find themselves landing in Berlin and heading straight for the dentist’s office. They cross the yellow tape after showing the officer their badges and head over to the lead investigator. </p><p>“Ah, you must be the agents from MI6 I’ve been expecting, thank you for getting here so quickly” she tells them as she begins to lay out what they know. </p><p>“So far we don’t have much, the receptionist said they had a temp come in to cover for one of their hygienists that’s out on maternity leave. Said she only saw the one patient and we know how that ended.”</p><p>“Did she give a description of the woman?” Kara finds herself asking. </p><p>“Yeah, all she said was that the woman was slim, German and had dark hair, which unfortunately describes a very large population of this city” she tells them humorlessly. </p><p>“Can we go inside and speak with her?” Kara asks next. When she nods, Kara and Alex leave their suitcases on the sidewalk and head inside the office, completely unaware of the pair of eyes watching them from a café across the street. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena couldn’t tear her eyes away. She followed Kara Danvers’ every movement as she spoke to the investigator across the street from where Lena was seated. She was more compelling than Lena remembered. In the bathroom she wasn’t able to look at her that long, but right now, she could stare as much as she wanted. Kara was with her sister, Lena remembered her from the Facebook post that led to her realizing Kara’s identity. She continued to stare until the two women followed the investigator inside the office. </p><p>Once they were inside, Lena slipped out of her chair and made her way across the street at an angle so that, when she made it across, she was two shops down from the dentist’s office. She then made her way in its direction and when she passed the spot the two women had left their suitcases, she grabbed the one she saw Kara leave in a swift motion that didn’t even require her to break her stride. She then continued down the street in the direction of her hotel, a smirk firmly planted on her face. </p><p>--</p><p>Once inside, Kara and Alex follow the lead investigator up to the receptionists’ window. The woman behind the counter looks up at them as they approach, an apprehensive look on her face. </p><p>“I’ve already told you everything I remember” she says, looking at their escort once the three of them have stopped in front of her. </p><p>“I just need you to give your description to my colleagues from London here” she says to them while gesturing to Kara and Alex. </p><p>The woman lets out a huff, “She was slim with dark hair and a German accent” she tells them dryly. </p><p>Kara just nods her head while Alex rolls her eyes at the woman’s lack of cooperation. </p><p>“Is there anything else at all you can give us? Did she say anything to you?” Kara is asking anyway as she pulls out a pen and her notebook. </p><p>“She said her name was Kara Danvers, but given the situation, I’m sure that was a load of crap and not useful” the woman tells them with a scoff before looking back down at her computer. </p><p>Kara freezes, pen hovering in the air above her notebook, unmoving. Alex’s gaze quickly snaps to her sister. When Kara slowly looks up, eyes wide and mouth gaping, she struggles to find words. Alex jumps in and saves her. </p><p>“Thank you for your time, call us if you remember anything else” she says as she hands the woman her card. The woman just takes it without a word, not bothering to look at them. </p><p>When they make their way back outside, Kara’s face is still frozen, trying to process what the woman just told them. Alex grabs her arm and tugs her off to the side, away from where the police are still working. </p><p>“How the hell does she know your name?” she hisses lowly at Kara, who has still yet to move a muscle in her face. At the question, Kara looks over at her sister, utter confusion written across her face. </p><p>“I have no idea” she finally manages to say. </p><p>“Well we better get back to the hotel and try to figure it out” Alex says as she goes to grab her suitcase. Kara turns around with her to grab her own and stops short. It’s gone. She turns in circles frantically searching for it. </p><p>“My suitcase is gone!” she squeaks and Alex is looking over at her with a look of pity. </p><p>“I guess we’ll need to stop at a store on the way to the hotel then huh?” she asks. </p><p>Kara lets out a huff as she furrows her eyebrows. “This isn’t fair, why didn’t they take yours too?” she whines. Alex just lets out a shrug and continues walking. </p><p>Kara crosses her arms with a look of contempt on her face as she goes to follow Alex. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena looks around the thrift store she has found herself in with clear disgust written across her face. She had seen the pitiful wardrobe Kara kept when she rummaged through her suitcase but a thrift store? She’s not sure she can stomach this. It’s then, however, when Kara emerges from one of the dressing stalls to show her sister the clothes she was trying on. Lena quickly ducks behind one of the racks, careful to avoid actually touching anything for fear of where it’s been. </p><p>She watched as the sisters exchanged words and Kara made her way back behind the curtain to try on the next thing she had picked out. As she observes them she sees how close the two really are. Alex unafraid to give harsh honesty when Kara picks out a particularly ugly sweater and Kara just taking it good naturedly before going back to change into something else. </p><p>Watching the siblings interact puts an ache in her chest she hasn’t felt in quite some time. When she feels heat behind her eyes and tears begin to prick at their corners, she clenches her jaw and pushes the feelings aside. She doesn’t have time for that right now. She focuses back on the women across the shop. Or more particularly, woman. Without the glare from the sun hindering her view, she is once again captivated by Kara Danvers. The woman doesn’t quite seem real to Lena. With all the changing Kara is doing, Lena has gotten a good picture of the woman’s figure and is quite breathless at the sight. </p><p>Kara is toned, like really toned. The muscles in her arms seem to strain against every shirt she puts on and when she decides to try on a few tighter tops, Lena can see the clear definition of abs poking through. Her eyes track up and down her body, shamelessly staring from behind the wall of clothes keeping her hidden. Her hair is up today, blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail. While Lena would have thought she’d be upset by this, it does allow for a clear view of Kara’s strong features. She trails her eyes up starting at Kara’s neck, past her chiseled jaw, stops for a while to stare at full lips and finally stops on her eyes. They’re just as blue as Lena remembers. </p><p>Such a close, unhindered, uninterrupted view of the woman she hasn’t been able to get out of her mind is doing things to Lena. She feels a flush creep up her own neck as she imagines following the same path her eyes just took but with her lips. She imagines starting at Kara’s neck and working her way up her jaw until she can finally connect her lips with Kara’s own. </p><p>Her thoughts are interrupted when a store attendant comes up beside her and asks her if she needs any assistance. Lena just glares at her until the girl quickly retreats to find another customer. Lena watches her go before turning back to the dressing room, only to find the two sisters nowhere to be found. She whips her head around in all directions before she finds them paying at the counter. She quickly slips out of the store in order to avoid the possibility of being seen. Now that she knows Kara is aware of what she looks like, she’ll have to be more cautious with hiding her face than she’s used to. </p><p>At this thought, a cocky smirk makes its way onto her face as she walks down the street. This game she’s started up with Kara is like a game of chess and she certainly intends to put all those years of training to good use. </p><p>--</p><p>Back at their hotel room, Kara is unpacking the new clothes she had just bought as Alex lays on the bed closest to the window with her back against the headboard and her hands locked behind her head. She is eyeing Kara with a contemplative look and when Kara catches her watching her after finishing putting everything away she raises her eyebrows at her sister. </p><p>“What?” she questions when Alex doesn’t say anything and just continues looking at her. </p><p>Alex tilts her head and narrows her eyes slightly before taking her hands from behind her head and sitting up. </p><p>“Just trying to figure something out” she replies. </p><p>Kara furrows her brow at that “And what exactly are you trying to figure out?” she questions. </p><p>Alex contemplates her next words for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and resuming her previous position. </p><p>“Just how long you’ve had the hots for our assassin” she says calmly. </p><p>Kara blanches at this. “What?! Are you insane? I do not ‘have the hots’ for her” she says using air quotes. </p><p>Alex just hums as if she doesn’t believe her, a smirk making its way onto her face as Kara grows more and more flustered. </p><p>“Alex, I’m serious, what made you think that? She’s a killer. Ruthless and cruel. How could I ever even think of liking somebody like that?”</p><p>Alex just shrugs again, “I don’t know” she says “Maybe it’s the way she can ‘see into your soul’” she mocks with a laugh. Kara’s neck and cheek go crimson at her own words repeated back to her. </p><p>“I was just trying to give an accurate description” she huffs while crossing her arms protectively over her chest. </p><p>“Mhm I’m sure” Alex says, smirk still planted firmly on her face and Kara just rolls her eyes as she turns around to grab some fresh clothes. </p><p>“Whatever, I’m going to take a shower, then we can head to dinner” she calls over her shoulder on her way to the bathroom. </p><p>“Aren’t we doing to talk about the fact that she somehow knows your name?” Alex calls after her. </p><p>Kara pokes her head around the bathroom door and levels Alex with a serious look. </p><p>“Not on an empty stomach” she says before retreating back into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. </p><p>A half an hour later finds them walking down the stairs to the entrance to Berlin’s subway system. They had decided on a restaurant that wasn’t quite within walking distance, given the drop in temperature since the sun set. They’re attempting to read the subway map they’re stopped in front of when Alex sighs and turns around, letting Kara figure it out. She’s looking around the busy terminal when something catches her eye. She squints, trying to get a better look before nudging Kara’s shoulder. </p><p>“What?” Kara questions as she turns and finds Alex’s attention somewhere in the crowd. She turns to try and look at whatever it is that Alex has her gaze fixed on. When she see’s nothing she turns back around and questions her again. </p><p>Alex squints harder at the woman at the other end of the platform. </p><p>“Isn’t that the scarf Mom made you last Christmas?” she questions, not taking her eyes off their target. </p><p>Confused, Kara turns again to look in the direction of Alex’s intense gaze and that’s when she sees it. Or, to be more specific, sees her. There, at the other end of the platform, is the reason they’re in Berlin in the first place, and she’s wearing Kara’s scarf. How is she wearing Kara’s scarf?</p><p>When the woman turns her head, their eyes lock. She’s looking at Kara with what can only be described as amusement in her eyes and a small smile on her lips. For some reason, this angers Kara. How can this woman be so casual when not even 12 hours ago she had stabbed a woman through the neck? Under Kara’s name no less. Kara’s face contorts into one that is a mixture of rage and determination as she begins to stride towards the woman. She barely registers Alex’s call to stop before she’s deep in the crowd, trying to maneuver her way towards the woman. </p><p>She can see the woman let out a soft chuckle as she notices Kara’s attempt to get to her. This only causes another surge of anger to course through Kara as she begins pushing past the increasing crowd of people that have gathered waiting for the next train to pull up. She struggles to make forward progress. She doesn’t even register the train pulling up until she feels people begin to push into her, perpendicular to her own path.</p><p>She’s trying desperately not to lose the woman in the crowd and when she spots her again, the woman is still looking directly at her. The smile never leaves her lips as she gives Kara a wink before stepping forward onto the train. Kara realizes too late what’s happening and before she can make it to her destination, the woman is on the train with the doors closing behind her. Kara’s eyes widen as she realizes she’s about to get away. </p><p>As the train begins to pull away, Kara attempts to run alongside it as she keeps the woman in her line of sight. She watches her take a seat on the train and look out the window before giving her another smile, this time accompanied with the slightest wave of her hand that comes across just as cocky as Kara assumes it’s meant to. </p><p>She stops running when she makes it to the end of the platform and just watches as the train pulls away into the tunnel. And then she’s gone. Kara lets out a frustrated yell as Alex comes running up beside her, panting slightly. </p><p>“That was her wasn’t it?” she asks. </p><p>“Yes it was, and she got away. She was right there and I let her get away Alex!” Kara yells, frustrated at her failure and annoyed at the display of cockiness from the other woman. It was one thing to see it in the way she killed people, as if she knew she was untouchable, but it was another entirely to see it in person as she managed to evade Kara. </p><p>Alex just puts her hand on Kara’s shoulder reassuringly. “We’ll get her soon, it’s okay” she tries to comfort her, but Kara just continues to stare into the tunnel before speaking again. </p><p>“If she wants to play, let’s play.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for your kind words. Let me know what you think :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena enters her apartment with a proud smirk still planted firmly on her face. She’s rather enjoying this game she’s entered into with Kara. The thrill and excitement she got from watching Kara try to reach her on the subway platform still fills her as she closes the door. </p><p>That feeling of excitement dwindles, however, when she enters the living room and sees Sam sitting there with a scowl on her face. </p><p>“I’m going to kill you” Sam says as her frown deepens upon seeing Lena enter. </p><p>“You really can’t make those jokes in our line of work” Lena tells her as she bypasses the living room to head straight to the kitchen, not really caring why Sam is in a sour mood. </p><p>“Who says I’m joking?” Sam gets up to follow Lena, frown never leaving her face. </p><p>Lena just rolls her eyes and starts searching through the refrigerator for something to eat, huffing when she remembers she ate her only leftovers before her trip to Berlin. She shuts the door and heads over to where she keeps her take out menus, beginning to flip through them. </p><p>Sam just watches her, her frown turning into a look of incredulousness as Lena seems completely unfazed by her anger. </p><p>“She saw you!” Sam blurts “No, worse, you let her see you!” she amends.</p><p>At this, Lena lazily picks her head up to look at Sam, boredom written across her face. Sam’s anger flares when she sees this.</p><p>“Do you not care? How can you be so indifferent about this? This is not a game, Lena, this is our work and allowing the one woman that knows of your existence and who is actively trying to get to you, see you and nearly catch you does not make them happy!” </p><p>Green eyes set with a hardness Sam was not prepared for, as she takes a subtle step back at Lena’s instant shift in demeanor. Her shoulders have gone stiff and the hardness visible in her eyes has spread through her whole body as she levels Sam with a glare. </p><p>“And who is them? Who are these people I’m meant to be pleasing” she asks with a coldness to her voice that causes Sam to gulp and take another step back. Lena, however, just takes a step forward for each that Sam takes in retreat before continuing.</p><p>“I do my job. I do it well, better than anyone else this sorry excuse for an organization has. I have taken everything they’ve thrown at me and thrived. I have never failed at a job. How I choose to entertain myself is of no concern to them. As long as I keep giving them results, they can shut their mouth and leave me be.”</p><p>Sam remains quiet, deciding it would be best to allow Lena to cool off. She takes out the money and silently places it on the table in the kitchen, intent on leaving the apartment as soon as possible, not wanting to be around Lena when she’s this upset. </p><p>As she’s heading towards the door she’s stopped by Lena speaking again. </p><p>“Oh and Sam?” she pauses until Sam turns around to face her again. “Do make sure you pass along that message. It can be before or after you tuck Ruby in, as long as they get the message” she finishes with a slight tilt of her head as she watches Sam react. </p><p>At her words, Sam’s breath catches in her throat as her eyes widen. Lena wasn’t supposed to know that. How did Lena know that? With the threat clear in the words, Sam just nods before finally taking her leave with a soft click of the door shutting behind her. </p><p>Lena lets out a sigh, she hadn’t wanted to use Sam’s daughter against her like that, but she needed to make sure her message was passed along. She was finally feeling a sense of excitement she’s been missing for so long and she wasn’t going to let anyone take it away from her. </p><p>--</p><p>When Kara and Alex finally touch back down in London, they are both exhausted from their trip. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions and they’re both just happy to get back to their apartments and sleep in their own beds. </p><p>They split a cab from the airport and when Kara gets out and waves goodbye to Alex, who is still sitting in the car, she really feels the weight of the last couple days set in. She had been so close. She keeps going through those moments at the subway in her head. Trying to play out different scenarios where she didn’t let a highly skilled assassin slip between her fingers. She knows thinking of what she should have done differently will make her go crazy, but she can’t help herself. She’s so mad at herself for letting the woman get away.</p><p>As she trudges up the stairs to her apartment, she’s thinking up a new scenario where she somehow developed super strength and just pushed past everyone before she was face to face with their killer. It’s that face she’s thinking of when she stops in front of her door and frowns, confusion suddenly enveloping her entire body, because there, sitting in front of the door to her apartment, is her suitcase. </p><p>She looks around, as if whoever left it there could still be in the hall, despite it nearing midnight. With her brow furrowed, she grabs the suitcase before unlocking her door and heading inside. She puts her things down in her bedroom and places the suitcase on the bed, eyeing it suspiciously. After a few minutes of just staring at it, Kara decides to open the offending object. What she sees inside makes her gasp. </p><p>Gone are the comfortable clothes she had packed for the trip and in their place are several articles of clothing that, put together, probably cost more than her yearly rent. She sends off a quick text to Alex before placing her phone down and turning back to the open case sitting on her bed. She delicately picks up the top piece, a beautiful black dress with gold trim and a deep V-neck. As she goes through each piece of clothing in the case, her confusion begins to run deeper. Everything in this suitcase is exactly her size. She isn’t sure how that’s possible and looking down at the clothes spread out on her bed, her mind begins to swim. </p><p>As she tries to get her bearings and wrap her mind around how this is possible and figure out where the hell all this came from, she notices a little card tucked into one of the shirts she hadn’t noticed before. Slowly, as if it will burn her, she reaches for the card and reads the neatly scrawled words across it. </p><p>“Sorry Baby”</p><p>Just two words and Kara instantly knows how, or better yet who. She throws the card down as if it actually had burned her. She now looks around at the clothes spread before her in disgust rather than the awe she felt mere moments ago. </p><p>In a sudden burst of rage, Kara gathers all the clothes into her arms and carries them out of her room and through her apartment, until she gets to the window that leads to her balcony. She tosses the clothes onto the ground and opens the window before crawling through it until she’s standing outside on the balcony. She goes to the corner where she keeps her barbeque and rips it open before taking the grates off and placing them on the ground beside it. She then lights the charcoal and newspaper that was still in there from the last time it was used. As the fire builds she goes back to the window, reaches down, gathers up the clothes and makes her way back over to the fire. </p><p>It’s as she’s placing the first black dress into the fire that Alex enters her apartment using the spare key she had given her and makes her way over to the window. </p><p>“What the hell are you doing?” Alex questions, leaning halfway out the window to see Kara standing over the fire with an angry and determined look on her face. </p><p>“They’re from her” Kara replies without looking up, deep frown in place as she watches the expensive clothes burn in front of her. </p><p>Alex climbs through the window and makes her way over to her sister. She picks up one of the pieces of clothing from the ground beside Kara and her eyes go wide. </p><p>“Kara, these are very expensive clothes! Why on earth are you burning them?” She asks with disbelief in her voice. </p><p>Kara just grabs the shirt out of Alex’s hand and throws it on the fire before repeating her earlier statement. </p><p>“How do you know?” Alex questions looking around at all the clothes at her sister’s feet, probably trying to do some quick math in her head. Kara’s only response is to hand Alex the note. As she reads it, a look of understanding passes over her face. </p><p>“You know we’ll get her right?” she says with clear sympathy. “Please don’t beat yourself up over this.”</p><p>“How can I not, Alex? She was right there and I just let her get away. She was right there and I wasn’t a good enough agent to get her” she says dejectedly, tears brimming her eyes. </p><p>“I’m going to stop you right there” Alex says, putting an arm on her sister’s shoulder to get her to stop poking at the burning clothes and look at her. When she finally looks up, Alex brings her into a hug and whispers into her hair: “You’re an amazing agent, there was no way anyone could have got to her in that situation, she had it planned too well. She knew it would be too crowded and that the train would arrive right when she needed it to. Please don’t think a ‘better agent’ could have gotten to her.”</p><p>When she hears Kara sniffle she just hugs her tighter and lets her cry into her shoulder for as long as she needs. A few minutes later she feels Kara begin to pull away, so she lets go of her hug but keeps her hands on Kara’s shoulders. She’s stopped crying and is just looking at Alex with a pout on her face. </p><p>“Thank you for coming over, I know it’s late and you’re tired” Kara says, grateful for her sister’s presence. </p><p>Alex just smiles and rubs up and down Kara’s arms before releasing her and going over to the fire that’s still burning on the barbeque. She grabs the extinguisher Kara keeps beside it and puts out the fire silently as Kara pointedly looks away from the remaining pile of clothes. </p><p>When Alex turns back to her sister she gives her a small smile and leads her back inside. </p><p>“I think you need to relax and do something for yourself” Alex says a few minutes later as Kara is making them hot chocolate in the kitchen. </p><p>“Oh yeah? And what do you suggest I do?” Kara asks as she walks into her living room carrying two steaming mugs. </p><p>Alex just smiles and takes the mug before blowing on it and taking a tentative sip, careful to avoid burning her tongue. After letting out a pleased hum as the warmth of it spreads through her she looks back up at Kara who is giving her an expectant look.</p><p>“I think I have just the thing.”</p><p>--</p><p>Lena gets an unexpected, but welcome, few days off after her little standoff with Sam. She’s glad to have a few days to herself before going out on another job. She spends them lazing around her apartment, drinking whiskey and reading books that have been collecting dust on her bookshelf. </p><p>Those few days end, though, when a postcard is slid surreptitiously under her door. She picks it up off the floor and casually makes her way over to her computer. The consistent nature of her job has numbed her to this part. A hit is called, she’s given the information, and she carries out the hit. It’s the same every time. She really doesn’t care who she’s killing but the research is necessary in order to get to the fun part. So she’s not really paying attention when she pulls up the details of her latest job. </p><p>However, when she finally looks at the picture attached to the file of her latest victim, she pauses and sucks in a quick breath. Because there, staring back at her from her computer screen, is Alex Danvers. </p><p>She sits up a little straighter and tucks her chair closer to the desk before continuing to read. There’s not much information, just the usual details about when and where. It’s always been enough for Lena, so she’s confused why she suddenly feels like she needs more information. </p><p>She reads through the file twice before finally sitting back in her chair and taking a deep breath. She doesn’t understand the sudden tightness in her chest or the rapid beating of her heart. This is nothing, she’s had more complicated kills, killed more important people. So why is Alex Danvers giving her trouble? </p><p>Her mind, unwillingly, drifts to Lex. Thinks maybe he has something to do with the weird feeling building up inside her. Thinks maybe it’s because she knows Alex has a sibling, knows what losing that sibling is like. But it’s been 2 years since Lex and she’s barely thought of him since, so that can’t be it. </p><p>Lena’s thoughts then drift to Alex’s said sibling. She lets her thoughts linger on toned arms and abs so defined you can see them through a shirt. She shakes her head before her mind can go anywhere else with those thoughts. She can’t let a pretty girl disrupt her work, even if she’s the most attractive woman Lena has ever laid eyes on. So, she closes her laptop and starts making her way around her apartment. She gathers everything she will need before heading out the door. She has a plane to London to catch. </p><p>--</p><p>Apparently, Alex’s idea of “doing something for herself” was for Kara to go on a blind date with some guy Alex met at the gym. And that’s where Kara finds herself now. </p><p>The guy is nice enough, his name is Mike and he’s actually a personal trainer at the gym. He has nice eyes and a kind smile, but Kara just can’t find it in herself to be interested in anything he’s saying. She’s just tuned back in after getting lost in her thoughts for no less than the fifth time that night and just catches the end of his sentence. </p><p>“- and that was when I knew I had to share my fitness knowledge with the world,” he pauses and gives her a look as if he’s expecting a response. Kara just sits up and makes a face as if she was listening the entire time this man was talking about his workout regimen. </p><p>“Oh wow, that’s really amazing” she says with what she hopes is a convincing smile. She thinks she’s succeeded because he gives her what is probably meant to be a charming smile and starts talking again. This time it’s something about a pull up contest he entered a couple months ago. Kara just nods along but finds her mind drifting again. </p><p>It goes to the only thing she can seem to think about lately. She doesn’t want to constantly be thinking about their assassin, but she can’t seem to stop herself. She told Alex she was feeling better, but Kara can’t stop running through the events in Berlin over and over again. She has so many questions she needs answers to. How did the woman know her name? How did she know they were going to be at the subway when they were? How did she get Kara’s address to send the suitcase to?</p><p>Kara is beside herself trying to come up with an answer to even one of these questions. Whoever this woman is, and whoever it is she is working for, are bigger than any of them had originally thought. </p><p>With all these questions running through her mind, there are still others that she would never dare voice out loud. She wonders if the woman’s skin is as soft as it looks, if her eyes are even brighter up close than they are at a distance. As much as Kara doesn’t want to think about the events of Berlin, she even more so wants to put a stop to these other thoughts. She hates this woman, so why is she thinking about running her hands through the soft looking hair that never seems to be described the same by any witness. </p><p>She knows what is going on and she refuses to acknowledge it. There is no way she has a crush on one of the most dangerous killers in the world, because that would be crazy. It’s at this thought that she forces herself to tune back into the conversation that’s apparently still going on. She swears it’s like this guy doesn’t even realize she hasn’t been paying attention to a single word he’s said because he’s still talking. She’s starting to think that maybe an assassin is better than this self-involved prick. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” she interrupts him in the middle of what she thinks is an explanation of his favorite leg workouts, “but I just got a text that there’s an emergency at work, I have to go” she says with the best look of regret she can muster. </p><p>He blinks at her almost as if he genuinely forgot she was there before nodding and trying to ask for her number. She evades him with a half winded excuse about not being allowed to give it out because of her job before she makes a beeline for the door. </p><p>Once she’s outside she lets out a frustrated yell. The people on the sidewalk around her give her a strange look, but she pays them no mind and begins walking towards her apartment. Sure, the guy was a total ass, but she was still on a date and couldn’t stop thinking about an assassin that hasn’t stopped giving her trouble since she picked up the case. She may be new to this but she knows she’s not supposed to daydream about murderers. </p><p>With another noise of frustration, she calls Alex and tells her to come over. She needs several drinks and a venting session about how awful Mike was. She also needs to question Alex on why she ever thought he’d be a good match for Kara. </p><p>--</p><p>Trailing Alex is easier than Lena thought it would be. For a trained agent she’s really not good and spatial awareness because Lena has been following her for about 10 blocks now. She could’ve shot her a while ago, but part of her is curious where Alex is going. If she’s secretly hoping Alex is going to meet Kara, then no one needs to know. </p><p>It’s another few blocks until she sees Alex go into a coffee shop. It’s a small little shop on the corner of a fairly busy street in London. From outside, Lena watches her order and then wait off to the side with everyone else getting their coffees to-go. When she sees Alex pick up two cups, Lena feels a sense of excitement build. The same excitement she’s been feeling ever since her little game with Kara started. </p><p>She waits back until she see Alex leave the shop and continue walking before following behind her again. It’s another few blocks still until Alex heads into what looks like an apartment building. After quickly checking what street they’re on, Lena knows this is Kara’s building, which means she was right in assuming the other drink was for Kara. She follows Alex silently up to the second floor where she knows Kara’s apartment is located. </p><p>When she’s made up the stairs, she peers around the corner to see Alex knocking on Kara’s door. She steps out from behind the wall when she sees the door open. As they hug each other in greeting, she clicks off the safety on her gun. She knows they’ve both heard it based on the way she can see their entire bodies freeze mid hug. They slowly release each other and turn to face her. </p><p>A small smirk makes its way onto her face as they both stare at her with wide eyes. Despite her target being Alex, Lena finds herself focusing in on Kara, who is looking at her with both fear and anger in her eyes. When Lena raises her gun and clearly points it at Alex, she watches Kara’s eyes widen even further and she can hear Alex suck in a breath before raising her hands. </p><p>Kara looks quickly between Alex and Lena with a sense of panic Lena usually revels in. But for some reason, on Kara, it just doesn’t sit right with her. She steels herself and shakes away the feeling though. She has a job to do. </p><p>Kara then does something Lena was not expecting, she steps in front of Alex. Lena is taken aback by this because she knows they’re close, but the thought of a sibling doing something like that was not something that had ever crossed her mind. She knows Lex would have thrown her in front of himself if he thought he was in danger. Kara must sense the surprise because she is now, for the first time, speaking directly to Lena. </p><p>“Please,” she says “please don’t do this.”</p><p>Lena doesn’t know if it’s the shock of having Kara speak to her for the first time or seeing her stand in front of Alex, but she hesitates. However, she’s a professional, and she can’t let a pretty face stop her from doing her job. So, after a couple seconds, she moves to point her gun at Kara. </p><p>“No!” Alex finally finds her words, before pushing Kara out of the way to stand in the guns path again. This only further confuses Lena. They would both die for each other? Why?</p><p>“Please, you’re here for me, don’t hurt her” Alex says desperately. </p><p>Lena doesn’t take her eyes off Kara as she watches the other woman’s eyes brim with tears, a look of complete fear on her face at the prospect of what’s about to happen. </p><p>Lena sets her jaw and, as green eyes meet pleading blue, she pulls the trigger.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the ring from the shot settles in the hall, two pairs of widened eyes stay locked with each other from either ends of the hallway. As realization settles between the women standing in the hall, Alex opens her eyes, which she had clenched shut in anticipation, and turns around to look at the hole in the wall behind her, only a couple inches from her head. She then turns to look back at the woman at the other end of the hall, who looks just as shocked as Alex feels. </p><p>This woman is the most skilled killer she’s ever come across, Alex knows a shot from barely 12 feet away is nothing to her. So, that means she meant to miss. But why? She can hardly get her thoughts in order with the adrenaline from accepting death mere moments ago, still coursing through her body. She finally looks over to Kara who is still staring at the woman, unblinking. She looks more shocked than either of them and something flashes across her eyes that Alex can’t quite decipher. </p><p>As they all stand there frozen, not saying anything, the gun is still raised in the woman’s hand. Although, now, Alex is not worried about the woman shooting, thinks maybe the woman is just frozen in her own shock. When she seems to snap out of it, she lowers her hand slowly, placing the gun back in the waist of her pants at the small of her back, eyes never leaving Kara. Alex is confused by this. She’s the one this woman just decided not to kill, yet it’s Kara she’s leveling her shocked gaze upon. </p><p>Reality seems to crash into her like a wave as the woman’s eyes snap quickly to Alex, as if to confirm that she’s actually not dead, and then back to Kara before she spins on her heels and hurries back the way she came. It’s only half a second later that Kara seems to snap out of her own shock and makes to go after the woman. </p><p>“No!” Alex finally finds her voice as she grabs Kara’s bicep. She looks at Kara with a pleading face, worried the woman won’t show the same mercy twice, especially since the first time seemed as out of character as it can get. </p><p>Kara just gives her a look, one that she, again can’t decipher, before ripping her arm out of Alex’s grasp and following after the woman. </p><p>When Kara makes it down to the lobby and out the front door, she took the steps two at a time trying to make up for lost time, she notices the woman walking briskly down the sidewalk. It helps that the streets are so empty and there is no one else on the sidewalk with her. </p><p>“Wait!” she calls out and she sees the woman freeze in her pace. Kara runs to catch up with her but when she’s about 6 feet away the woman turns sharply with her gun pointing directly at Kara’s head. Her eyes filled with confusion, fear and something else Kara can’t quite put her finger on. <br/>She holds up her hands, indicating to the woman that she doesn’t plan on moving or coming any closer. </p><p>“I just wanted to ask why?” Kara says “I mean, not that I’m not glad you didn’t kill my sister because who would be upset about that? I just mean you seem very good at your job, even if I don’t condone it” she adds before furrowing her eyebrows. “No that sounds weird, I shouldn’t be scolding you while you hold a gun to my head, although I don’t think you’d shoot me, but I also don’t want to test that theory” she rambles before pausing and taking in a breath, trying to gather her thoughts. </p><p>Lena’s face softens, watching Kara try and string together a coherent sentence. It makes her heart begin to pick up its pace against her will and she tries not to let it show on her face. She then lowers her gun, switches the safety on and puts it back in the waist of her pants. She crosses her arms to still come off as guarded and intimidating, but having the gun no longer pointed at her seems to make Kara calm down and gather her thoughts. </p><p>“What I really mean to say” Kara starts again, “is that I’m sure whoever you work for won’t be happy you didn’t finish the hit, and first, I wanted to thank you, but mostly, I wanted to know why?” Kara asks with a look of such sincerity on her face that Lena feels herself relaxing in Kara’s presence, even if she knows she shouldn’t. </p><p>“I don’t know” she finally says, because it’s the truth, she doesn’t know why she decided to move her hand an inch to the left at the last second so as to avoid hitting Alex Danvers. She doesn’t know why Kara’s pleading gaze actually did something to her when no one else’s ever had. </p><p>Kara, for her part, is shocked that this woman actually spoke to her. It’s the first time she’s heard her voice and thinks it might actually be her real one. She heard a distinct Irish lilt in her tone that seemed too subtle to be one of the fake accents she clearly uses. It’s beautiful, and Kara finds herself hung up on the sound of it. When she snaps out of it she chances a step forward. When the woman immediately flinches and takes her own step back, Kara stops, not wanting to scare the woman off now that she’s finally spoken to her. </p><p>“We can help you, you know. If whoever you’re working for has anything on you or is making you do these things against your will, we can help” she tries to offer. The woman just scoffs. </p><p>“I do what I want, no one makes me do anything” she says with such finality in her tone that Kara doesn’t doubt it for a second. </p><p>“What’s your name?” Kara finds herself asking, still enchanted by the woman’s voice, and wanting a name to go with it.</p><p>The woman’s signature smirk is back on her face and, in the current situation and after finally hearing the woman speak, it doesn’t infuriate her like it did on the subway platform. In fact, it does quite the opposite, Kara finds it brings a warm flush up her neck and to her cheeks. </p><p>“Now darling, why would I tell you that?” is all the woman says before turning around and heading back down the sidewalk. </p><p>Kara is frozen in her spot, just watching the woman go. A new blush covering her cheeks because she really liked how the word ‘darling’ sounded when the woman said it. When she finally snaps out of it she heads back inside and up to her apartment. Alex is waiting, pacing the length of her kitchen, anxiously biting her nail. When she sees Kara enter she runs up to her and hugs her. Kara hugs back with all her strength, the reality of what could’ve happened sinking in now that she’s in her sisters arms. </p><p>“What happened? Did you speak to her?” Alex is asking when they finally pull away. </p><p>“Yeah, I spoke to her” Kara says, a far off look on her face. </p><p>Alex just looks at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue before getting impatient at Kara’s lack of elaboration and asking what happened again. </p><p>“I’m not sure, but I think we can use her help to catch her bosses” Kara states, moving to look out the window in the direction the woman went. </p><p>Alex just eyes her curiously, “you think she’ll actually help us?” she asks with a tone of disbelief. </p><p>Kara contemplates the question, goes over the entire encounter with the woman in her head before answering. </p><p>“Yeah, I think she will.”</p><p>--</p><p>As soon as Lena gets back to her apartment in Paris, the first thing she does is change the locks. She knows Sam had a key made ages ago and she just really does not need her barging in uninvited to admonish her about Alex Danvers. She just needs time to herself to go over everything that happened and Sam would only interrupt that. </p><p>Sam did end up coming by only a few hours after Lena returned. It was quite amusing to hear her curse at the door when she realized her key didn’t work. It was less amusing listening to her bang on the door for the next hour and a half yelling to be let in. </p><p>Lena just stayed seated on her couch, drinking whiskey and staring at the door until Sam finally relented and left with one last shout through the door. </p><p>“We will talk about this Lena Luthor! Whatever’s going on with you we will talk about it, whether you like it or not!”</p><p>Lena just sighed and drained her current glass before getting up to pour another. Needing to be far less sober if she is going to continue going over her most recent time in London in her head. She has been trying to come up with a good reason why she chose not to kill Alex but is coming up blank. Not that she hasn’t found a reason, it’s just not a good one. </p><p>To not follow through with a job just because of the look in Kara Danvers’ eyes is far and away one of the worst reasons she can fathom. Yet, it’s the truth. Seeing the fear and desperation in the woman’s eyes did something to her and she just couldn’t go through with it. This has never happened before. Sure, she’s been with plenty of beautiful women, but none of them have ever made her question herself the way Kara does. And she hasn’t even been with Kara that way. As many times as she’s imagined it, the closest she’s ever come was a 5 minute conversation where they were standing 6 feet away from each other; and even that happened after she decided not to kill Alex.</p><p>The whole situation is messing with her head more than she’d like to acknowledge. She never really thought about her job from the perspective of anyone else. Never considered the effects that taking a person’s life would have on someone. Ever since Lex she has just felt numb to the idea of death and loss. It’s alarming to be thinking of it in any capacity again. That’s why she decides that for the next week, she won’t be speaking to anyone else or taking any jobs. She needs to figure her shit out and get a handle on her emotions. She’s not used to feeling this much and she finds that she’s not a fan. </p><p>So, for the next 7 days, Lena decides to be even more unavailable than she normally is to the outside world. If she plans to spend every second of those 7 days thinking about Kara Danvers, well, that’s no one’s business but her own. </p><p>--</p><p>Kara is determined, now more than ever, to figure this woman out. It bothers her beyond belief that she still doesn’t even know her name. </p><p>She spends the entire weekend locked away in her apartment, eating nothing but take out, consisting mainly of pizza and potstickers, and researching all the known major assassins in the world. She’s read countless articles about big assassins taking out some of the world’s most prominent leaders. </p><p>It’s on the second day, however, when she comes across an article from a couple years ago about an assassin blowing up a capital building where a world summit was taking place. The blast killed 12 prominent diplomatic leaders and the assassin himself. She scrolls through the article until the man’s name is finally mentioned. </p><p>Lex Luthor. </p><p>She’d heard of him before. She remembers Alex talking about him when it happened and about how he was completely insane and connected to hundreds of kills spanning several years. Something about him draws Kara’s attention and she finds herself leaving the article and searching his name. The result is thousands of articles written about him from countries all over the world. </p><p>As she clicks through them she just gets more and more horrified. It seems that he didn’t become well known after his death. He was the owner of a large corporation based out of Russia and was actually a highly respected businessman. It wasn’t until after he blew himself and 12 other people up that his side job of assassinating high profile business and political figures came to light. It was also concluded that he was not working alone, but for a much larger organization that is still unknown to this day. </p><p>Kara has a gut feeling it is the same organization her assassin is working for. The high profile nature of all the kills lines up and she doesn’t even want to consider the possibility of there being two organizations like that out there. It’s as she’s scrolling through pictures of Lex that she freezes, eyes locked on the screen. She’s staring at a photo of Lex leaving some building, talking on the phone and surrounded by security guards. That’s not what makes her stop at the picture though. No, it’s the woman leaving a few paces behind him, seemingly trying to hide from the paparazzi taking the photo. She has half of her face covered and has her head down. But Kara would recognize that profile anywhere. It’s her. She scrolls a little further to read the caption under the photo. </p><p>“Lex Luthor, left, leaving LuthorCorp headquarters with younger sister Lena Luthor, right.”</p><p>Lena. The woman’s name is Lena; and she is the sister of Lex Luthor, the man connected to more kills than she could ever even hope to keep track of. </p><p>Pieces are starting to fit together in her mind. It seems like Lena decided to take after her brother after he went and blew himself up to get a job done. Could this be why she spared Alex? She knows what it’s like to lose a sibling? </p><p>Kara’s mind is reeling with this newfound information and she picks up her phone to call Alex but pauses with her thumb halfway to the call button. She decides then that she isn’t going to fill her in quite yet. It’s a spur of the moment decision that has her booking a single ticket to Paris. In all her research on Lex she found that he liked to spend most of his time in the city. She’s taking a wild guess and hoping she’s right that Lena chooses to reside there now. </p><p>She has no idea how she would go about finding Lena once she makes it to Paris but she’s not really thinking about that right now. All she can focus on is the fact that she knows her name and the look in her eyes when Lena realized she had spared Alex. </p><p>Kara thinks there is good in this woman. Thinks that if she can just talk to her she can somehow convince Lena to help them take down the organization she works for. She thinks maybe she should tell Alex where she is going in case this whole thing goes terribly wrong, but she doesn’t want her sister following her to Paris and possibly scaring Lena away if she manages to find her. She’s not sure why, but something tells her Lena will be more inclined to listen to her alone. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena doesn’t get 7 days off. She gets 2, which, in all honesty, is more than she expected. She figured someone would come crashing down her door about an hour after Sam left. But, surprisingly, that’s not even how her two days end either. A postcard is simply slipped under her door as usual. She feels like she should be suspicious about how normal everything is, but doesn’t want to get too hung up on it. She figures if she can just do this job, without any surprises, then maybe they will just forget about the whole Alex Danvers thing. </p><p>The kill is in Reims and she’s glad she doesn’t have to go far for it. This means she’ll be home by tonight and be able to relax and sleep in her own bed. She decides to take her own car seeing as she barely gets to drive it anymore. The drive is relaxing and she finds herself enjoying the view along the way. </p><p>Once she arrives, she parks her car in a nearby parking garage and makes her way over to the cathedral. It really is a beautiful structure. She waits on a bench outside for a few minutes before she sees who she’s waiting for. He’s very skinny for a man, she thinks. She just shrugs her shoulders to herself and gets up to follow him. </p><p>As he makes his way down the street, she’s only ever 10 paces behind him. She gets a quick flashback to following Alex down the streets of London in a similar manner but shakes the thought out of her head. That’s definitely not something she should be thinking about right now. </p><p>When he turns down an alley and she finds it to be empty she rolls her eyes at how easy he’s making this. She picks up her pace in order to catch him before he makes it to the other side of the alley and grabs him, slamming him against the brick wall of one of the buildings. He lets out a surprised yell before she covers his mouth with her hand. His eyes are wide with fear and he’s shaking like a leaf. </p><p>Where she would normally find pleasure in the fear written clearly across his face, she only feels a tightness in her chest forming. Her throat has become dry and her heart is now pounding. Confused by this, she immediately lets go of the man by shoving him down onto his knees. She then takes a step back and points her gun at his forehead, silencer already screwed in place. He puts his hands up and is begging her for mercy with tears streaming down his face. </p><p>The sight causes her to pause as her breath catches in her throat. Not knowing what is going on, Lena feels her chest tightening even further as she watches the man beg for his life. </p><p>Against her own will, her mind drifts and instead of this man begging in front of her on his knees, she sees blue eyes pleading with her from across a stretch of hallway. She sees Kara, willing to give her own life in order to save her sister’s. The sight gives her pause, just as it had the last time she saw it. However, this time, it’s not actually there. She is not pointing her gun at Alex Danvers, she is pointing it at this man whose name she doesn’t even remember. So why is she reacting the same?</p><p>Unwilling to fail twice in a row, both from her own hatred of failure and her fear of what might happen to her if she were to return with clean hands again, she steels herself. With her jaw clenched and the man still begging for his life in front of her, she turns her head, closes her eyes and pulls the trigger. She hears the man’s body hit the ground as he falls over. With a quick glance to make sure she hit him where she was meant to, she shoves the gun back into her coat and makes her way out of the alley. </p><p>As she’s walking back to her car, she realizes that that was the first time she wasn’t able to look as she pulled the trigger. </p><p>--</p><p>Kara really should have thought this through. She was working on the adrenaline from finding out Lena’s name when she bought the ticket. She was still working on adrenaline when she took the cab to the airport, walked through security and boarded her flight. It was about halfway through the flight that the adrenaline wore off and she actually realized that she has no idea what she plans to do once they land. </p><p>She has absolutely no idea where to even begin looking for Lena. Paris is a big city and she could be anywhere, if she even does live here. That was another thing. This whole trip was led by a guess that this is where Lena lives. For all she knows, the woman could actually live in Russia or Germany or literally anywhere else. It’s these thoughts that have her doubting this whole plan and considering immediately boarding a return flight upon exiting the plane. </p><p>Not knowing what to do, Kara does the only thing that ever seems like an answer, she eats. She finds a café near the airport and orders several pastries. She doesn’t care that the waiter gives her a funny look at the large order, she is stressed and when she’s stressed, she eats. </p><p>It’s as she’s working on her third croissant that she decides to do what an investigator should do. She pulls out her phone and brings up one of the articles on Lex she was reading that mentioned his time in Paris. She skims through the article until she gets to the point she was looking for. It’s a short paragraph that mentions all the property Lex owned in the city. Of the numerous buildings in his name, there is one that stands out to Kara. It’s an apartment building in the heart of the city. </p><p>She looks up the building and sees that it’s only a 20 minute walk from the café she’s currently seated outside of. She finishes her croissant and begins to make her way over to the building, figuring she can burn off some of the food she just ate on the walk over. Once she reaches the building, she has to stand back and take it in, even in the dark it’s breathtaking. It’s only a few stories high but the architecture is exquisite and the garden out front, behind a wrought iron gate, is beautiful. </p><p>She makes her way through the gate and into the building. The inside is almost more magnificent than the outside. With marble steps that lead up to the floors with the apartments and an old timey elevator that looks like it can’t fit more than 2 people. Kara is taken aback by the pure beauty the building holds. It’s then that she decides this must be where Lena lives. Despite knowing just about nothing about the woman, the one thing Kara thinks she does know, is that Lena has a taste for the finer things in life. And this building is certainly one of them. </p><p>It’s then that an older woman comes down the stairs Kara was just fawning over. </p><p>“Hello, excuse me ma’am?” Kara gets her attention. “Do you think you could tell me if this woman lives in the building?” she asks, holding out the photo of Lena from the news article. </p><p>The woman looks at it for a moment before handing it back to Kara and replying with a smile “Yes, she’s on the third floor, lovely woman, reduced my rent after my husband died.”</p><p>Kara was not expecting that. She isn’t sure what she expected, but Lena reducing rent for an elderly widow was not one of them. This woman just keeps surprising her. </p><p>“Thank you very much” she says to the woman, who now has a small smirk on her face as she looks Kara up and down once. Kara feels nervous under her gaze for some reason and rushes to continue. </p><p>“Do you think you could tell me which apartment she is?” she asks the woman who still has that unreadable expression on her face. </p><p>After a brief pause and a contemplative look, the woman turns towards the wall of mailboxes and throws over her shoulder “first one on the left.”</p><p>Kara thanks her again and rushes up the stairs towards the third floor. When she gets to the door the woman mentioned she pauses. Just stares at the wooden door in front of her and listens to the movement inside. She’s here, just beyond this door. All Kara has to do to get to her is knock. She waits another couple of minutes, just staring at Lena’s door before, in a surge of confidence she’ll question later, she knocks. </p><p>The movement ceases within the apartment. When Lena doesn’t come to the door after a few moments, Kara knocks again. She finally hears Lena making her way towards the door and steels herself to face her again. </p><p>As the door is being unlocked and opened, she hears Lena begin to speak. Again, in that captivating Irish accent that she is now certain is real. </p><p>“Look, Sam, you know I don’t want to talk about wh – “ is all she gets out before she ceases all movement and just stares at Kara, mouth slightly open and eyes filled with surprise. </p><p>“Hello Lena, I think we need to talk.”</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for your comments and kudos, they really keep me motivated. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena just stares at Kara with her mouth slightly agape and shock written across her entire face. They stare at each other for a few moments before Kara clears her throat. It seems to pull Lena out of her stupor as she closes her mouth and leans out the door, looking down the hall in both directions, apparently checking that Kara is alone. When she seems convinced, she looks at Kara again, surprise still clearly etched on her face, before stepping aside and opening the door wider for Kara to enter. </p><p>As Kara enters the apartment, her shoulder brushes Lena’s, whose breath hitches at the contact. She had never been this close to Kara and she can smell the shampoo the woman uses. The close proximity momentarily distracts her from her shock, but as soon as she’s out of Lena’s personal space, the confusion sets back in. </p><p>She closes the door and locks it before slowly turning around to face the woman responsible for all her conflicting feelings as of late. When she’s facing Kara again the woman is standing in the middle of her apartment, looking around. Lena suddenly feels self-conscious of the empty take out containers strewn across her table and the few articles of clothing draped lazily over one of her chairs. She doesn’t go to move them though, she doesn’t move at all. She is rooted to her spot, still shocked that Kara is here, in her apartment. How the hell did she find her apartment?</p><p>It’s as she’s thinking that question that Kara finally turns to look at her again and Lena loses her breath for the second time that night. Kara’s eyes are as blue as Lena remembers, a shade she has never seen before, and she’s looking at Lena as if she’s looking into her soul. All Lena can do is stare back. She holds her breath, waiting for Kara to say something. When Kara makes no move to start talking, Lena uses all the strength she has to walk over to her bar to pour herself a drink. She feels Kara’s eyes follow her the entire time. Once she’s poured her drink she takes a large sip and turns back to Kara, who is still watching her intently. </p><p>“So we need to talk?” she sardonically asks with a facade of confidence she doesn’t actually feel. </p><p>Her voice seems to snap Kara out of whatever stupor she was in because she nods slowly, then eyes the drink in Lena’s hand. Lena notices her line of sight and raises her eyebrows. </p><p>“Would you like a drink?” she asks. Kara just nods her head, still not saying anything. It seems she used up her confidence when she knocked on the door and declared they needed to speak. </p><p>Lena pours her a drink and holds it out to Kara. Kara steps forward and takes the glass from her, their hands brush and Lena feels her breath hitch again. Kara, however, pulls her hand back as if she’d been burned and Lena tries not to let the hurt from the action show on her face. </p><p>She crosses the living room and sits down on her couch and watches Kara take a seat across from her as she sips her drink. Kara downs her entire drink in one sip and places the glass on the table before leveling Lena with a look of newfound determination, but before she can get a word out, Lena speaks. </p><p>“How did you find me, and how do you know my name?” She says evenly, taking another sip. </p><p>Kara clenches her jaw a couple times before sighing and leaning forward so her elbows rest on her knees. </p><p>“I found an article about Lex and there was a photo of you with him.” </p><p>Lena’s nostrils flare and her eyes set in a cold stare that causes Kara to gulp, only now seeming to realize that she’s placed herself alone with a ruthless killer in said killer’s apartment, where she probably has dozens of guns and knives stored all over the place. She tries not to let her fear show and keep up the facade of confidence, but can’t help glancing around the room in search of any visible weapons. </p><p>“That explains how you know my name, but not how you found me.” Lena continues with an icy tone. </p><p>Kara settles her nerves in order to avoid allowing her voice to give away her fear. </p><p>“I saw that Lex liked to spend time in Paris and that he owned several properties in the city. Only one was an apartment building, so I took a guess and came here. Someone downstairs told me which apartment was yours when I showed them a picture of you.”</p><p>Lena narrows her eyes, looking for any indication that the woman across from her is lying. When she finds none she lets out a sigh and eases the tension out of her face and shoulders, which in turn seems to make Kara relax. </p><p>“I guess I didn’t give your investigative skills enough credit” she says with a dry chuckle before finishing the remainder of her drink. Kara seems relived at this reaction, as Lena watches the tension ease from her shoulders. </p><p>“So why are you here?” Lena asks after a few moments of silence. </p><p>“You know I’ve been investigating you right? That my job is to catch you? How do you know I’m not here to bring you in?” Kara questions and Lena just rolls her eyes. </p><p>“If you were here to take me in you would’ve knocked down the door, guns blazing, with a huge backup crew. You wouldn’t have knocked, said we need to talk, and had a drink with me.” Lena says with amusement laced in her tone. She smiles humorously when she sees Kara furrow her eyebrows and scrunch up her face as she seems to realize how correct Lena is. Lena finds it adorable. </p><p>“Fine, you’re right, I’m not here to take you in.” Kara concedes. Lena just nods her head for Kara to continue. Kara takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before she speaks again. </p><p>“I need to know why you spared Alex. Did it have to do with Lex? I’ve been trying to put the pieces together, but I just can’t make sense of it” she says all in one breath. She looks up at Lena when she’s finished and holds unwavering eye contact until Lena sighs and sits forward as well, leveling Kara with an unidentifiable look. </p><p>“It wasn’t because of Lex.” She finally says with that Irish drawl that Kara has grown secretly fond of. She doesn’t respond, just keeps her eyes locked on Lena’s as an invitation to continue. </p><p>The eye contact becomes too much for Lena and she looks down at her hands before she continues. </p><p>“I thought it was too, at first. I was just as confused as you when I didn’t kill her, probably more so. Killing has always been easy for me. I found it exciting and thrilling to take a life. I never associated anyone with having a real life or family or anything, I didn’t care.” She chances a look up at Kara at that and, while her face remains neutral, the horror flashing in her eyes is enough to make Lena snap her eyes back down. </p><p>“It’s been different lately though. I wasn’t getting the same excitement from my jobs as I used to. It became boring and I didn’t feel anything. In a different way to the way I felt nothing before. This wasn’t just being indifferent to who I was killing, it was complete indifference to the entire act. And that had never been the case before.” She pauses and looks up again. Sees that Kara is taking in everything she’s saying. They make eye contact and the horror Lena saw before is no longer present in Kara’s eyes. Now, all she can see is apprehension, which, she supposes, is better than disgust. She takes a deep breath before saying what she’s going to next. </p><p>“I didn’t feel that excitement again until you came along.”</p><p>At this, Kara does interject; “Me?” she asks with a sense of bewilderment, brows furrowed as she tries to make sense of what she’s just been told. </p><p>“Yes, you.” Lena tells her. “When I found out you were looking for me, I was kind of impressed that someone had actually connected my kills, I didn’t think anyone would. Then, when I realized we had already met at the hospital in London, I felt that thrill that I had been missing. That’s why I went to the subway in Berlin. Even though I knew you wouldn’t get to me, the possibility of it and seeing you try brought that sense of excitement back. I hadn’t felt that kind of thrill from anything besides killing in so long.”</p><p>Kara still hasn’t said anything and Lena is getting antsy having her just stare at her as she gives away more about herself than she has to anyone she’s ever met, even Sam. Still, she sets her jaw and continues on. </p><p>“Then, when I got the hit on Alex, something just felt wrong. I had never really had a reaction to getting a hit before, but for some reason, when I saw her on my file, it just didn’t sit right with me. But I went along with the plan as normal anyway. I really did plan on killing her.” She pauses and chances yet another look at Kara. The woman across from her is now looking down as well, as if she’s reliving the encounter as well. Her knee is bouncing and she’s biting the nail on her thumb. That little crinkle is between her eyebrows and Lena decides then that she won’t tell her the whole truth. Not now. She can’t tell her that she couldn’t go through with it because of the look in Kara’s eyes. Can’t tell her that the woman in front of her causes a twisting in her gut that she’s never felt before, that she’s not entirely convinced is bad. No, she doesn’t think Kara would react well to that information, so she fudges the truth a little bit. </p><p>“When I saw the two of you together, I realized why it felt so off.” Kara looks up then and they lock eyes, an unreadable expression flitting across Kara’s face. Lena swallows before continuing with her little white lie. </p><p>“I realized that if I killed Alex, our little game, the thing that was finally bringing me so much excitement, would be over. I knew if I killed her, you’d come after me with a vengeance and not stop until I was either in a cell or dead.” Lena finishes with a shuttering breath that she hides behind a clearing of her throat. </p><p>Kara looks at her curiously. “How do you know I still won’t? It is my job, after all, to bring you in.”</p><p>Lena manages a teasing smirk at the words. “Because, darling, I think you’re getting just as much excitement from our little game as I am.”</p><p>When she sees a fain blush begin to rise up Kara’s neck she cheers internally and her smirk widens a bit. She’s pleased to have gotten that reaction, plus, Kara looks very pretty when she blushes. </p><p>Kara, for her part, is still very apprehensive of the woman sitting across from her. She won’t admit it to anyone, especially Alex, but Lena isn’t entirely wrong. She did find some excitement in the “game” they were playing. As much as she wanted to do her job and prove to Cat that she was a good agent, chasing a sexy assassin around Europe was not something she hadn’t been enjoying, if only in secret. That was another thing, she’s beginning to be a little concerned with the way Lena makes her feel. When Alex had mentioned it in the hotel, Kara had scoffed at her and dismissed it outright. Now, though, when she’s this close to the woman and hearing her call her “darling” in that beautiful accent she has, Kara can’t deny the way it makes her react. </p><p>However, remembering the way Lena describes how little she feels when she kills someone, Kara shakes those feelings aside and remembers how dangerous this woman is. Despite how warm her hand felt when it had brushed against her own. She had to pull her own hand away quickly in fear that she’d let it linger too long and give herself away, because the last thing she needs is having Lena know the effect she has on her. </p><p>“Will you tell me about what happened to Lex?” Kara asks after a few moments of silence pass between them. Lena’s reaction is instantaneous. She immediately tenses her entire body and crosses her arms over her chest as if to protect herself. </p><p>“Didn’t you read everything you need to know?” Lena asks with a bit of a bite to her tone. Kara was prepared for this kind of reaction. </p><p>“I know about the explosion, yes. But I don’t know why he did what he did. He was a successful businessman, and an apparently even more successful assassin. Why would he do what he did?”</p><p>Lena was looking down at the table before, refusing to meet Kara’s eyes, but when Kara asks that question, Lena’s eyes snap up to meet her own. They just look at each other for a few moments with their eyes locked. Lena seems to contemplate something before a look of resolution passes over her. </p><p>“He went insane.” She says calmly, as if she’s talking about the weather and not her brother’s path towards a massive murder-suicide. </p><p>“He was a great businessman, true, he took over our fathers company when he died and built it to be even greater than it was before. He was respected in the business world, made friends with every important person you can think of. Then one day he just started acting different. He became secretive and fidgety. No one else noticed because no one else spent as much time with him. But I could tell something was different, he wouldn’t talk to me about it though.”</p><p>A look falls over Lena’s face as if she’s going back to that time and seeing her brother lose himself all over again. Kara suspects Lena has avoided even thinking, let alone talking, about her brother since he died. After a taking in a breath and releasing it slowly, Lena continues.</p><p>“I tried for a while to find out what was wrong, but he started getting angry whenever I would ask what was wrong. He would throw things and yell and some of things he said were so cruel I could hardly believe it was my brother saying them to me. The same brother that came in my room at night when we were children because there was a storm and he knew I was afraid of the thunder.”</p><p>Kara can see Lena’s eyes brimming with tears as she recounts their time as children. She can’t even imagine what it must have been like to lose a sibling in that way. Can’t imagine a world where she and Alex aren’t best friends. The thought threatens to bring tears to her own eyes but she forces them down as Lena continues her story. </p><p>“I lost him long before he went and blew himself up” she says, her throat thick with emotion as she tries to pull herself together. She doesn’t want Kara to think she’s weak and pity her. </p><p>“After a couple of months I gave up trying to get him to talk to me. For about 3 years after that we hardly ever spoke, we wouldn’t even see each other at holidays because he was always traveling for some business meeting or another. I hadn’t heard from him in nearly 6 months when I turned on the news and saw that he had blown up an embassy, killing himself and 12 others.”</p><p>Kara swallows thickly, the look in Lena’s eyes is one she has never seen on anyone before. Her eyes are empty as she recounts the day she lost her brother for the second time. Kara wants to reach out and comfort her, but doesn’t know if it would be appreciated, or how she would even go about doing so for someone reliving such a heartbreaking time in their lives.  </p><p>“It was a few weeks later when all the news articles came out connecting him to all these murders. Apparently he had been doing it for years. That’s when I made the connection that when he changed, it was because of that. Starting this job is what took my brother away from me, it’s the reason he’s gone. He was obsessed with getting ahead, figured he’d kill his opponents to further his own business venture. Then he was just obsessed with killing and in the end, his obsession with taking life is what took his.”</p><p>They sit in silence for a little after that. Kara, soaking in everything she just learned and Lena, trying to get her emotions in check after reliving something she had repressed for so long. The silence between them wasn’t awkward or full of any kind of tension, it was oddly relaxed. </p><p>Kara is the first to speak. A question swirling in her mind that she just can’t let go. </p><p>“If this job is what took your brother from you, why would you do it too?”</p><p>Lena doesn’t look at Kara right away. She swallows the lump in her throat and looks off into the distant, as if contemplating her answer. </p><p>“I guess I wanted to feel something again. After he died, I was like a zombie. I was just going through the motions of life, but not actually living. I was angry at him and wanted to see what he gave it all up for. I figured it would bring some feeling back into my life, and I was right. The thrill I got after my first kill almost made me understand why he did it. Not entirely, because I would never throw away my life like he did. But, I found the appeal; and I was good at it, really good at it.”</p><p>She chances a look at Kara then, expecting to see a look of disgust or horror at the admission, but all she sees is curiosity. Kara is looking at her like she’s trying to figure something out. What, Lena has no idea. </p><p>“Lena” she starts, and Lena has to hold her breath because wow, her name sounds really good on Kara’s lips, “I have a proposition for you, and I need you to be open minded.” </p><p>Lena narrows her eyes because she doesn’t know where Kara could possibly be going with this. She leans back on the couch and levels Kara with a look that tells her to go on. </p><p>“I think I know how we can both get what we want” Kara continues, seeming to skirt around her point in fear of Lena rejecting her proposal. When, again, Lena doesn’t say anything, just looks at her, Kara sighs and takes a deep breath, seeming to steel herself to say whatever it is she’s trying to say. </p><p>“I want to take down the organization that sends you on all these hits. Whoever they are, they have way more power than any one entity should possess. They’ve been able to slip under the radar of every national intelligence agency for years. They need to be stopped and I think the only way to do that is from the inside.” She pauses and looks to see if Lena knows where she’s going with this. She’s sure she does, but the woman across from her stays as steel faced as ever. Kara huffs, annoyed that she actually has to say it.</p><p>“I think you would should come work with me at MI6 and help us take down whoever it is that employs you. I don’t think we’ll be able to get to them without your help” Kara finally finishes, looking at Lena with a seriousness that leaves no room for questioning whether or not this is a joke. </p><p>Lena ponders the words for a moment, seems to mull them over in her head before settling Kara with a look of contemplation, which Kara takes as a sign that she might actually be considering it. </p><p>“How would this get me what I want? What is it that you think I want?” Lena questions her. </p><p>“Excitement” Kara replies. “I think this will give you a new thrill, one that’s better than you’d ever get from killing because you’d be working to take down the people that took your brother from you.” Kara bites the inside of her cheek in anticipation of Lena’s answer. </p><p>“So, Kara,” Lena likes the way the other woman’s name feels on her tongue, “you think I’ll give up my high paying job, that allows me to live as luxuriously as I want, to come work for the people that have been chasing me, intent on either putting me in prison or killing me, just to take down the very organization I work for?” She asks, and Kara swallows nervously before nodding. </p><p>A slow smile spreads across Lena’s face, her eyes never leaving Kara’s bright blue ones. </p><p>“I’m in.”</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This ended up being longer than I originally planned so I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think, your comments really make me excited to keep writing!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flight back to London is…awkward. Kara isn’t entirely sure how to act around Lena. Besides the fact that she is an extremely wealthy and deadly assassin, she is also intimidatingly attractive. If there was every any doubt in Kara’s mind who sent her the clothes it is squashed now, seeing how Lena herself dresses. She owns every room she walks into and Kara feels very small next to her as they board their flight and take their seats. Which is another thing. When Kara pulled out her ticket for coach seating, Lena just scoffed and purchased two first class seats on the spot. Kara doesn’t even want to know what they cost this last minute. </p><p>They’re now sitting on the plane waiting for takeoff. Kara offered to take the aisle so Lena is seated next to her looking stoically out the window. Not knowing what to do or if she should try to make conversation, Kara just starts reading one of the magazines from the pocket on the seat in front of her. She does, however, continuously sneak glances at the woman to her left. She can’t seem to help it. Lena is an enigma and Kara wants nothing more than to figure her out. </p><p>As if she can sense Kara watching her, Lena turns her head and catches Kara’s eye. She maintains eye contact and slowly raises on perfectly sculpted brow. Kara can feel her neck and cheeks flush at being caught and quickly darts her eyes back down to the magazine sitting open in her lap. Lena watches with an amused uptick of her lips before turning back to look out the window. It isn’t until the last 20 minutes of the flight that Lena finally speaks to Kara. </p><p>“So do you actually have a plan for when we land?” </p><p>Kara looks up, started at the woman next to her suddenly speaking to her before clearing her throat. She feels another blush creep onto her skin because, no she really doesn’t have a plan. This was a spur of the moment decision and she did not expect to get this far. Lena doesn’t need to know that though. So, like every other aspect of this trip, she wings it. </p><p>“Yes. We are going to go back to my office and talk to my team. You’ll tell them everything you know and answer any questions they have.”</p><p>Kara is proud of how confident and sure of her words she sounds. Lena, once again, just raises a single eyebrow. She’s not used to someone besides Sam being so direct in telling her what to do. She’ll admit, she’s a little impressed. She didn’t think Kara had it in her. </p><p>“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out” Lena says with a small smile that results in yet another blush from the woman next to her. Lena quite likes the affect she’s having on Kara, finds a whole new form of excitement in it. </p><p>Once the plane lands and they grab their overhead luggage, the two women make their way off the plane and through the airport. They take a Lyft back to the office and the entire ride there is silent, with Lena, once again, looking out the window the entire time. </p><p>When the driver stops in front of the building Kara and her team have been working out of for the past couple weeks, the two get out and make their way into the building. As they ascend the stairs, Kara feels nerves creep up more and more the closer they get to the office. She has no idea how the three of them will react. She has no idea what to expect when she opens the door and waltzes in with the very target of their investigation. By the time they make it to the door, Kara hesitates. She just stares straight ahead at the closed door in front of her. </p><p>Lena looks between Kara and the door they’ve stopped in front of and something clicks. She turns her body to look at Kara, a mix between surprised and amused. </p><p>“They have no idea you came to get me, do they?” she asks with mirth in her tone. </p><p>Kara just looks at her, wide eyed, before her expression settles on one of sheepishness. “Not exactly” she tells the woman beside her as she averts her gaze out of embarrassment of being so transparent to the woman in front of her. </p><p>She steels herself and opens the door before entering the office, her body still shielding the assassin behind her. Everyone in the room looks up simultaneously, surprised by her abrupt entrance. They all have different expressions on their faces. Alex looks a mixture of shocked and relieved, having not heard from Kara all day. Winn just looks surprised and Cat looks bored, as if Kara’s presence is of no significance to her. </p><p>“Where the hell have you been?” Alex questions her, crossing her arms with a stern look on her face. Before Kara can answer, however, Cat is speaking up as well. “Yes, Kara, do tell where you were that was so important you felt you skip a whole day of work.” She doesn’t sound angry, just annoyed at Kara for both skipping work and now interrupting it. </p><p>Kara bites her bottom lip, nervous to step aside and reveal the woman still hidden behind her. </p><p>“Well, you see, that’s actually a funny story” she starts slowly, before she hears a huff behind her and the next thing she knows Lena is pushing past her and entering the room as well. </p><p>“She was getting me” she states in a tone as bored as Cat’s face looked moments ago. </p><p>Now, however, the three of them all have matching expressions of shock, even Cat. They all have their mouths hanging slightly open and their eyes unblinking as they look back and forth between the two women in front of them. Winn, who had been eating chips while Alex and Cat questioned Kara, now allows one to fall out of his mouth in his state of shock. </p><p>When it appears that none of them are going to say anything, all still trying to process the scene in front of them, Kara decides to speak up. She looks over at Lena first, who is just eyeing the three in the room with a straight face. </p><p>“I was in Paris” Kara says dumbly to the three of them as they continue to say nothing and continue to just stare at Lena. “I found Lena and I brought her back here. Also, her name is Lena” she adds as an afterthought, realizing she never actually clued anyone in on her discovery. </p><p>This, at least, seems to snap them out of their daze. Cat just looks at Kara with an unreadable expression for a few moments before turning to sit down behind her desk. She turns to Kara with an expectant look on her face and simply says “Explain.”</p><p>Alex and Winn are both already seated and looking at Kara, clearly curious to hear the explanation as well. Kara looks nervously between the three of them before looking back at Lena, who she finds to already have been watching her. She walks over and sits behind Kara’s desk, crosses both her legs and arms and with an amused smile on her face says “Yes Kara, why don’t you explain your carefully thought out plan.”</p><p>Kara just looks at her with a hint of a grimace at her teasing tone, completely missing the other three in the room looking back and forth between the two women curiously. </p><p>“Right, so” Kara starts, suddenly even more nervous than she was to enter the room. “I was doing some research online and came across an article about that embassy explosion from a couple years ago” she says with a questioning lilt at the end as she looks around to see if they know what she’s talking about. They all nod slightly at her as encouragement to continue. “Well something about it pulled me in and I decided to look further into Lex Luthor.” At the mention of his name, Kara can see Lena’s eyes harden and she shoots her a quick look as if to apologize, again missing everyone else’s quick glances between the two. “And in that research, I came across a photo of him leaving one of his buildings with his sister…” she trails of at the end, looking directly into Lena’s eyes, which have, for some reason, softened as she listens to Kara speak, “…Lena” she finishes. </p><p>At this, Alex, Cat and Winn all snap their heads to look over at Lena. A mixture of shock and recognition now present on all their faces. Lena remains stoic as the three of them continue to just stare at her. Kara can sense her unease and quickly continues the story. As she does, she can see a small hint of gratitude on Lena’s face. </p><p>“In my research I discovered that Lex spent a majority of his time in Paris and I took a guess that that’s where Lena would be. So, I got on a plane and went to Paris. I also found that Lex owned several properties in the city and one of them was an apartment building. I went there and one of the residents immediately directed me to Lena’s room, so I went and got her and here we are.”</p><p>Alex is looking at her with look of incredulousness. “What do you mean here you are? There has to be more between knocking on her door and the two of you showing up here.”</p><p>It’s Lena who decides to speak next and fill in the blanks for Alex. </p><p>“Kara asked me to help take down the people who employ me, and I agreed. So I came back here with her to join your little team and do just that.”</p><p>Alex and Winn exchange disbelieving looks at Lena’s declaration and Kara bites her thumb nail nervously awaiting their reaction. The person she’s most nervous to hear from, though has been the quietest. Cat remains seated behind her desk, listening intently to Kara and Lena recount the last several hours. Kara nervously turns to her to try and gauge her reaction. Cat just watches her with slightly narrowed eyes on an otherwise unreadable expression, as if she’s trying to solve a complex equation in her head. She then rises from her seat and walks over to where Lena is still seated in Kara’s chair. It’s a very tense stare down, one that makes Kara nervous just to watch. </p><p>“Why?” is all Cat asks after a few moments. </p><p>Without missing a beat, Lena just shrugs her shoulders and replies “I was getting bored with them anyway” with more nonchalance than one would expect from someone who just agreed to take down their employers. Especially when those employers happen to be an extremely dangerous and murderous organization. She continues to look at Cat evenly until Cat’s lip upturns in the slightest of smirks and her only response is “good, I’ll see you tomorrow” before she grabs her bag and makes her way out of the office, closing the door behind her. </p><p>Kara lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding once the door has closed. </p><p>“So that was Cat, our boss” Kara tells Lena with a slight chuckle. She turns back to see Lena watching her and swallows thickly at the intense stare coming from the other woman. Kara chooses to ignore the look and instead properly introduce Lena to the two remaining members of her team. </p><p>“So, you already know Alex” she says before she can stop herself, her face contorting into a grimace as she realizes how awkward that actually is. Lena, for her part, just turns her gaze away from Kara and regards Alex with a slight nod of her head. Alex looks between the two women in front of her with a face that clearly shows the gears turning in her head. Kara tries to move on quickly and introduces Winn next. </p><p>“And this is Winn, he can do anything with a computer” Kara says and Winn puffs up his chest at the compliment. Kara thinks he’s just trying to mask the nerves he feels in Lena’s presence. Lena looks him up and down once before letting an amused smile overtake her face. “Except find me” she says with a chuckle that immediately causes Winn to blush crimson and lower himself into the chair behind his computer. </p><p>Alex is still looking skeptically between the other two women but at the light jab made at Winn, she lets out a small snort of laughter. She quickly schools her expression again and clears her throat, as if to cover her small slip up in the tough front she’s putting up. </p><p>“So, do we actually have any kind of plan here? Or are we still working on Kara’s impulses?” Alex questions them. Kara just pouts at her sister in lieu of giving an actual answer. Lena has to look away from the blonde and down at her feet because she is just too adorable and Lena doesn’t want to give away any kind of emotion other than indifference. As she’s looking down at the ground a thought pops into her head. </p><p>“I can call my handler” she offers up to the room. The two sisters, who had begun quietly bickering about Kara’s lack of impulse control, look up at her with confusion. </p><p>“And why on earth would you do that?” Alex asks her accusingly as Kara continues to look at her with a face she can’t quite read. It seems to be a mix of confusion and hurt. Lena quickly explains, afraid of allowing the beautiful blonde to think she’s turning her back on them. She also chooses to ignore the sudden panic she feels at the thought of upsetting Kara. </p><p>“I think she wants out too. She has a daughter and I’m sure she doesn’t want to involve her in this line of work. So, I think she would be open to helping.” Lena offers as an explanation, hoping that the three people in front of her are open to bringing Sam in. She could tell for a while now that this life isn’t what Sam wants anymore. She saw her picking her daughter up from school one day and she had never seen such pure joy on the woman’s face before. </p><p>Alex, Winn and Kara exchange contemplative glances, seeming to have an entire conversation without speaking. This intrigues Lena, she’s never imagined being so close to someone that they would be able to converse without words. She waits patiently as she looks between the three people in front of her. Her eyes land on Kara, though, and when the other woman looks back at Lena, she can almost feel it. Kara seems to tell her something with her eyes and it frightens Lena that she already feels like she can let her guard down around Kara. </p><p>It’s Alex that speaks next though, as Kara is still watching Lena with a look she can’t, and doesn’t think she wants, to decipher. </p><p>“If you think she really wants out and would be willing to help us, then okay, we can use as many people on the inside as we can get. But I swear Luthor, if you’re pulling one over on us, I will not sleep until you are locked up and never see the light of day again.” Alex has an expression made of stone on her face and Lena can tell that she means every word of it. Kara just looks back and forth between them with an apprehensive look on her face, as if she’s worried they’ll either start throwing words or hands any second. After a few beats, Lena lets an amused smile overtake her face and Kara has to hold her breath for a second because wow, Lena Luthor is really beautiful. She knew she was attractive, thought so the first time she saw the assassin, but right now, with one of the fullest smiled she’s seen on the woman, Lena is breathtaking. </p><p>Kara clears her throat and turns to walk over to their board that had previously been filled with pictures and newspaper clippings and just about anything else they thought would connect them to Lena. She starts taking down anything that doesn’t pertain to the organization as a whole and placing it all in the top drawer of her desk. </p><p>“I’m going to call Sam now” Lena says after watching Kara for a few moments and smiling at the other woman’s obvious nervous energy. Alex turns to her after also watching Kara, a little more curiously than Lena had, and nods to Lena. </p><p>“Okay, but use this burner phone, we don’t want anyone tracing the call back here” she says as she pulls said phone out and hands it over to Lena. </p><p>Lena lets out a small laugh at that. “They don’t screen our calls, they’re surprisingly very trusting given their job descriptions. But if it’ll make you feel better.” Lena takes the phone with only a slightly sarcastic expression. “Is there anywhere I can take this call in private?” </p><p>Alex just levels her with a look that tells her not to push it. “No, I think you can make the call here where we all can hear you” she says with a tone that leaves no room for arguing. Lena just rolls her eyes and relents. </p><p>She makes the call and the phone doesn’t even make it to the second ring before Sam is answering with a frantic “Lena is that you? I swear to god it better be you or I’m going to kill whoever it actually is.”</p><p>Lena lets out a small chuckle, “It’s me, darling, calm down” she says softly. “Oh good, I’m going to kill you! Where the hell are you?” is Sam’s response. </p><p>“I’m fine, darling, I’m in London, that’s why I’m calling” Lena replies evenly in an attempt to calm Sam’s obvious panic. </p><p>Still standing in front of the board, Kara quickly glances at Lena out of the corner of her eye. The way Lena is talking to this ‘Sam’ person has Kara’s chest tightening unpleasantly. She’s not sure why that’s so, but she knows that the obvious care and pet name the other woman is using on the phone makes her heart sink into her stomach. </p><p>On the other end of the phone Sam is still a nervous wreck but has calmed down enough to let Lena speak. “Are you good? Can I go on?” Lena asks with a chuckle and an endearing smile for the only person she considers a friend. She can hear Sam huff on the other end before replying “Yes, please do.”</p><p>“I’m in London with Kara and Alex Danvers” she tells her “and before you interrupt me and start yelling again, you’re going to want to hear what else I have to say.” She pauses and waits to see if Sam interjects again and when she is met with only silence, she continues. </p><p>“Kara came and found me in Paris and asked me to join them and help take down whoever the hell it is that has been giving us all these commands the last two years. I agreed because I’ve been kind of bored at work lately and figured this would be an exciting change of pace.” She says it so casually that the others in the room watching her could almost forget that she’s talking about organized murder. As it is, they’re looking at her like she’s insane.</p><p>Sam however just hums across the line as if that makes perfect sense and Lena smiles at how well her friend understands her. “Anyway, I thought maybe you’d want in, I know this isn’t what you want anymore. I know you don’t want this life for your daughter and I figured this would be the best way to get out of it and ensure both of your safety.” She says the last part much quieter, embarrassed to have not only the three people in the room with her, but also Sam hear her being so soft. </p><p>She is met with silence on the other end of the phone for long enough that she’s worried Sam actually hung up on her. When she pulls the phone away from her ear to check, she sees that they’re still connected. “Sam?” she questions when the other woman still hasn’t said anything. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m here” Sam finally says. “I just, I’m trying to process this.”</p><p>“I know it’s a lot, and if you need some time to think-“ </p><p>“Oh no, I’m totally in on taking those dickheads down” Sam quickly interrupts. </p><p>With a furrow of her eyebrows Lena replies with confusion clear in her voice. “Then what are you trying to process?”</p><p>Alex and Winn exchange confused looks, only being able to hear half the conversation has left them a little lost. Kara is still trying to pretend like she’s not listening. </p><p>On the other end of the phone Sam takes a deep breath before replying. “I’m just trying to process…” she pauses again and Lena is beginning to feel worried for her friend’s odd behavior. </p><p>“How much you love meeee!!!” Sam finally finishes with a shout that results in Lena having to pull her phone away from her ear and a flinch at the volume of the woman’s voice. Alex and Winn clearly caught the other woman’s reply because they’re both trying to stifle their giggles and Lena just rolls her eyes. Kara still doesn’t turn around, she too, heard the other woman’s reply and it only causes the hollow feeling in her chest to grow. </p><p>Lena brings the phone back to her ear with a huff. “Okay relax you idiot, don’t go getting a big head, when are you coming here then?”</p><p>“Hold on, give me a second, I’m still basking in how much you love and care about me” Sam says and Lena is getting agitated at the constant reminder of her softness. She glances over at Kara and sees that the woman still hasn’t turned around. It doesn’t look like she’s still doing anything to the board so Lena wonders why the other woman won’t turn and look at her or anyone else in the room. </p><p>“If you don’t quit it I’m going to hang up and not give you any more details and you can just forget the whole thing” she replies, annoyed. </p><p>“Okay, okay, I’m done” Sam finally says. “Give me an address and I’ll be there tomorrow.”</p><p>Lena gives her the information and after a quick goodbye in which Sam, once again, mentions how much Lena loves her, Lena hangs up quickly with an annoyed huff and a tense jaw at her friend’s antics. She looks back up at the two people actually facing her and gives another look over to Kara, who still hasn’t turned around. </p><p>“So, she’s in. She’ll be here tomorrow” Lena tells them. </p><p>Alex just nods and says “good” before she turns to go back behind her desk and sit behind her computer. Winn just smiles at her and gives her a goofy thumbs up. It’s actually kind of endearing and she finds herself smiling slightly at the man. She looks to Kara again, trying to will her to turn around. She feels a yawn bubble up in her chest and is hard pressed to prevent it from escaping. </p><p>“Well, I’ve had a long and unexpected day” she says to the room. “I think I’m going to go find a hotel and get some sleep.”</p><p>At this, Kara finally turns around. “Don’t be ridiculous, you can stay with me” she tells Lena. Lena just raises her eyebrows, not expecting that response. A small smirk makes its way onto her face and she feels a sense of excitement building at the prospect of staying in Kara’s apartment. </p><p>“Okay” she says casually, as if she’s indifferent towards the offer. </p><p>“Okay” Kara says with a sense of finality as she gathers her things before heading to the door. “Goodnight guys” she waves to her sister and best friend before opening the door and waiting for Lena. Lena just gives a half smile and nod of her head to Alex and Winn and they respond with the same. </p><p>Once they’re outside of the building, Lena pulls out her phone to call a Lyft before Kara stops her. </p><p>“I only live a couple blocks away, it’s not a far walk” she says before she starts heading down the sidewalk. Lena follows silently, unsure of Kara’s sudden odd behavior. She decides not to comment on the fact that both she and Kara know that she already knows where Kara lives. </p><p>10 minutes later they are walking up the stairs to Kara’s floor. When they make it to her door, Kara pauses. She looks around the hall, seemingly remembering the last time the two of them were standing here together. Lena swallows thickly and looks away from the blonde. Unfortunately, her eyes land on the hole still present in the wall behind Kara. She grimaces and averts her eyes again. </p><p>Kara watches her for a second before opening the door to her apartment and leaving the door open as an invitation for Lena to enter as well. Once inside, Lena looks around, curious to see where Kara lives. The place is full of photos, most of them of Kara and Alex, but some of them have people Lena recognizes from Alex’s Facebook post that started this whole thing. As she’s looking around the place, Kara leans with her back against the kitchen island, just watching the other woman take everything in. </p><p>“I’ll get you something to sleep in” Kara tells Lena as she makes her way over to her bedroom to grab a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. When she holds them out for Lena to take, Lena looks at them apprehensively before gently taking them from her grasp. </p><p>“Thank you” is Lena’s only reply. </p><p>Kara just nods at her once before making her way back into her room to change. Before she closes the door behind herself she turns back to Lena, who is still standing in the same place holding the clothes in front of her, staring at them. </p><p>“The bathroom is down the hall, you can change there and I think I have an extra unopened toothbrush under the sink.”</p><p>Lena looks up and nods her head before Kara closes the door so she can change. Once the door is closed, Kara leans up against it and takes a deep breath. She’s not sure what is going on. She has no idea why she reacted the way she did when Lena made the phone call to her handler. Sam, she said her name was. She has an idea of why, but she’s refusing to entertain that thought. She shakes her head to clear out the thoughts and gets changed quickly before exiting her room. She finds Lena, sitting on the couch, looking down at her phone, not noticing Kara’s return right away. Kara’s breath catches in her throat at the sight. Lena is sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around them to hold the phone out in front of her. Her hair is up in a messy bun and she’s wearing glasses and Kara’s clothes. Kara thought Lena was attractive in her fancy clothes and way too high heels, but now, like this, she thinks Lena is just about the most beautiful person she’s ever seen in her life. </p><p>Lena must sense Kara’s presence because she looks up and smiles softly. “Hey, thanks for the clothes, it’s not what I usually sleep in, but it’ll do” she says with a teasing tone and her smile widens a bit. </p><p>Kara lets out a soft laugh because she doesn’t trust her voice right now. She clears her throat and makes her way over to the couch. She sits beside Lena, not close enough to touch the other woman, but close enough that she can just feel her presence beside her. </p><p>“I didn’t know you wore glasses” Kara says when she finally feels she can speak again. </p><p>Lena brings her hands up to her face to fiddle with the black frames perched on her nose. “Oh yeah, I usually don’t let anyone see me wearing them, but my contacts were starting to burn.”</p><p>“They look good on you” Kara compliments and she swears she sees a faint blush start to color Lena’s neck and cheeks. She smiles, pleased for some reason to elicit that reaction. </p><p>“So” Lena starts, “this is certainly not where I thought my day would lead me” she chuckles as she shoots Kara a soft smile. Kara’s heart begins to thud in her chest at the look the other woman is giving her. This is so different than the assassin she first saw in Berlin. It’s hard for Kara to believe that this is the same woman that has killed probably hundreds of people. It’s a hard thought for her to wrap her head around, so she doesn’t try. For right now, she just sits with Lena on the couch in silence, enjoying the other woman’s presence. </p><p>“So, Sam is coming tomorrow then?” Kara asks even though she already knows the answer, just wanting to break the silence and maybe get a burning question answered as well. </p><p>“Yup, she just has to find someone to watch her daughter, probably her mother” is Lena’s reply. </p><p>“That’s good, she’ll be super helpful to the investigation. You said she’s your handler?” Kara asks and tries to act as casually as possible. </p><p>“Yeah, she is” Lena says slowly, picking up on Kara’s strange demeanor, reminding her of the agent’s strange behavior in the office before when she had called Sam. </p><p>“That’s cool, so you guys must be pretty close then. At least it sounded that way on the phone.” Kara tries to remain casual while pointedly not looking at Lena and keeping her gaze locked on a spot on her coffee table in front of her. </p><p>At both the tone in which she asked the question, combined with the odd behavior, Lena finally pieces everything together. A slow smile that should really be considered a smirk makes its way onto her face. </p><p>“Why, Kara, are you jealous?” Lena questions in a teasing tone that has Kara instantly blushing profusely. </p><p>“What? Me, jeal- no, I’m not- why would you, no” she stammers in an entirely unconvincing manner. </p><p>Lena’s smirk only grows wider as she takes in the flustered woman beside her. “You totally are” she says with such mirth that Kara immediately jumps up from the couch, not wanting to have this conversation with the woman that has been the cause of so much confusion in her life lately. Lena just sits back and crosses her arms, beyond amused at the blonde’s clear embarrassment. </p><p>“There’s another bedroom at the end of the hall, past the bathroom” Kara tells her, still not looking Lena in the eye, opting instead to look in the direction of the other room. Lena remains in the same position, entertained by Kara’s refusal to look at her. </p><p>She thanks the blonde and Kara finally looks up at her, rubbing the back of her neck and nods with a tight lipped smile before turning to go back into her room for the night and try and get some sleep. </p><p>“Goodnight Kara” Lena calls out, amusement still lacing her tone. </p><p>Kara looks back at the woman still seated on the couch and locks eyes with her. The amusement seems to drain from the brunette’s face, replaced with a fond smile and soft eyes. Kara gives her a similar smile in return. </p><p>“Goodnight Lena.”</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not too sure about this chapter, so feedback would be greatly appreciated! Hope you all like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Lena wakes up to the sound of shuffling in the kitchen. It sounds as if Kara is trying to stay quiet, but is failing miserably. Lena can hear pans and bowls being moved around. She decides that now is as good a time as any to get up and slowly rises from the couch, stretching out all the tweaks in her back from sleeping on the couch as she does so. She then makes her way over to the kitchen, stopping and leaning against the entryway as she spots Kara. The blonde is dancing around the kitchen, to a song that must only exist in her head, and making what appears to be pancakes. An amused smile makes its way onto Lena’s face as she continues to watch her.</p><p>A moment later, Kara goes to twirl around and comes to an abrupt stop, bringing her hand up over her heart. </p><p>“Jesus Lena, you scared me! How long have you been standing there?”</p><p>The brunette’s smile only widens at Kara’s antics as she’s now leaning forward with her hands on her knees, apparently trying to slow her breathing. </p><p>“Oh not long, only long enough to know you definitely shouldn’t quit your day job to become a dancer” she teases. When a blush creeps up Kara’s neck, Lena is all the more satisfied with herself. Making Kara flustered has quickly become her favorite pass time. She makes her way over to the coffee pot, intentionally brushing her shoulder against Kara’s as she passes her, and fills the empty mug Kara left out for her. She smiles to herself, with her back to the blonde, at the thought of Kara thinking to take one out for her. She’s not sure why, but the idea of Kara thinking to do anything for her makes her smile. </p><p>She turns around and brings the full mug up to her lips, smiling over the rim as she sees Kara has returned to flipping pancakes. She’s still wiggling her hips slightly, seemingly unable to keep still as she cooks them breakfast. </p><p>“I hope you like pancakes” Kara says as she looks over her shoulder at Lena, finding the other woman already watching her. 	Lena just gives her a soft smile. “I do, thank you.” Kara shoots her a smile of her own before returning her attention back to the food. Lena walks over to look over Kara’s shoulder and notices the absolutely massive amount of pancakes she is making. </p><p>“Are you making enough to feed the entire building?” She asks with both surprise and mirth in her voice. </p><p>Kara, however, does not register her words because Lena is suddenly very close to her. So close in fact, that her chest is brushing up against Kara’s back as she peers over her shoulder. She is bombarded by the scent of her coconut shampoo and can’t really focus on anything else other than the incredibly attractive assassin that is taking up all of her personal space. </p><p>She finally clears her throat and finds her voice and decides to retaliate on all the teasing Lena has been doing since they landed in London. “No these are mine. I only meant I hope you like them because then it wouldn’t be as fun to eat them all in front of you.”<br/>Lena throws her head back laughing and since she has not moved away from Kara, the pale expanse of her neck is on full display, mere inches from the blonde and oh, Kara did not think this through. She really needs to figure out all these thoughts and feelings Lena has been evoking out of her lately. If she can just identify them, then she can get a handle on them because this is not the kind of distraction she needs right now. To distract herself, she dishes the pancakes that have finished cooking and shoves the plate between Lena and herself, effectively putting enough distance between them that she can think clearly again. Lena just looks at her with an amused smile before thanking her quietly and going to sit at the island. </p><p>“So, when does your friend get in?” she finds herself asking Lena as she goes to sit beside her. Lena finishes chewing the bite of pancakes she had in her mouth before answering. </p><p>“Okay first, these are amazing. Second, her plane gets in this morning actually.”</p><p>Kara just smiles and the compliment and nods at the answer to her question. She’s going to meet the only person that seems to hold any sort of permanent residence in Lena’s life. To say she’s curious would be an understatement. From what she heard on the phone yesterday, Lena cares about this woman a lot. She’s still kind of confused by her reaction to hearing Lena speak to the other woman. Lena was just so soft and caring when she spoke to her and it bothered Kara for reasons she couldn’t begin to explain. </p><p>They finish their breakfast in silence and then get ready to head back to the office. On the walk over, Lena can tell something is on Kara’s mind but doesn’t comment on it. She can see the small crinkle between her eyebrows that she’s quickly realized only makes an appearance when Kara is deep in thought. So, they walk in a relatively comfortable silence, with Lena sneaking quick glances at Kara every couple minutes. </p><p>They make their way into the building and up the stairs until they’re entering the office again. This time, however, Kara doesn’t hesitate outside the door. Instead she just walks right in and heads over to her desk, not saying a word to anyone else in the room. Alex and Winn look up from Winn’s computer and eye the blonde with matching looks of curiosity. They then turn their heads towards Lena, who just shrugs at their unspoken question. </p><p>A few minutes later, Cat enters the office, carrying with her an air of authority that even Lena must admit is impressive. </p><p>“Luthor, when does your friend land?” Cat asks with no preamble. </p><p>“Uh,” Lena checks her watch, “10 minutes ago” she replies once she’s checked the time. </p><p>“So she should be here soon then.” Kara finally speaks up. Although, Lena notes, it’s with a bit of disdain in her voice. She smirks again, finally connecting some dots. She remembers Kara’s reaction to her phone call with Sam the night before, and Kara started acting weird again this morning right after she asked when Sam gets in. She had been partly joking last night when she teased Kara for being jealous, but she’s starting to think she was right on the money, if the ever present crinkle has anything to say about it. She smirks to herself at the thought, she could have some fun with this. </p><p>It’s another 30 minutes before Sam arrives and Lena has been formulating a plan of her own the entire time. She had sent Sam the office’s address the night before and told her to come straight up. Everyone had agreed that it would be better than having her standing outside waiting where anyone could see her. When they all hear a quiet knock, everyone’s heads snap up, either looking at Lena or the door. Alex eyes Lena carefully, as if she still expects this to be a trap somehow, before making her way over to open the door to reveal Sam standing in the hallway. She appears relaxed, but Lena can sense the slight nervousness showing in her eyes. </p><p>Lena jumps up from where she was sitting beside Kara’s desk and crosses the room quickly before wrapping her friend in a tight hug. Sam immediately goes stiff, having never known Lena to initiate a hug before, before she slowly brings her arms up and around the shorter woman. </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re here” Lena says into Sam’s shoulder where she has her face pressed. She can sense the confusion in Sam but luckily the other woman just goes with it. </p><p>“Yeah, me too. I’m glad you called.” Sam is sincere in her words too. Lena knows that Sam is actually relieved to be given an opportunity to get out of her old job. Knows that Sam just wants to provide a good, safe life for her daughter. When Lena releases her, Sam just gives her a questioning look, clearly a bit confused by Lena’s behavior. Lena, in turn, just gives her a smile and squeezes her shoulders before releasing her and turning to sit back down. She looks to Kara and has to suppress her triumphant smile at seeing the other woman’s gaze turned pointedly at the ground, refusing to look at the two of them. Alex is just eyeing Kara with her own curious gaze, clearly picking up on her sister’s strange behavior. </p><p>It’s Cat who speaks next, though. “Alright, now that we’ve all said our hellos, let’s get to work.” Lena nods and pulls the only other free chair close to her side and gestures for Sam to sit down. When she does, Lena immediately shifts her chair so there is no room left between them. She then places her hand over Sam’s on the desk. Sam narrows her eyes, now getting quite suspicious of Lena’s behavior. Lena, however, is looking over to gauge Kara’s reaction. She sees the blonde looking down at their hands with her jaw clenched tight. At this, Lena’s struggles to rein in her smile. </p><p>Sam looks back and forth between the two women and seems to connect the dots. She squeezes Lena’s hand to get her attention and waits for Lena to turn her focus away from the pretty blonde. When Lena does turn to look at Sam, she’s met with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. Now it’s her turn to blush at being caught. She just shrugs her shoulders slightly and Sam shakes her head at her friend. She does leave their hands joined though, figuring she’d very much like to see this play out. </p><p>It’s Alex that breaks the silence next. “Alright, we need to figure out how we’re going to infiltrate an organization that, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist. Any ideas?” When she’s met with only silence and apprehensive stares, her shoulders drop and she lets out a sigh. “Yeah, I know, but there has to be some way to get to them. Sam, when you would send Lena out, where did the information come from? There has to be some way to trace it back to somewhere.”</p><p>“Every hit was on a postcard with a hidden code for Lena to put into an encrypted database that would then give her all the information she needed. The card would always just be slipped under my door. I never actually saw anyone leave it there.”</p><p>“Did you ever have a way to contact someone if you needed to?” Is Winn’s next question. “Surely there was communication outside of postcards.”</p><p>“Sometimes I would get phone calls, but they were only in case of extreme emergencies, like when Lena here refused to follow their rulebook” she gives Lena a playful glare and Lena just laughs, remembering all the headaches she caused her friend. Kara looks back and forth between the two women with an unreadable expression. Sam turns her attention back to Cat and continues “and it was always between burners and the voice was always scrambled.” Sam tells them all apologetically. “I wish there was more I could tell you right now, I really do.”</p><p>Lena squeezes her hand and gives her a reassuring look. She wants Sam to know that she’s grateful for her help and doesn’t want her to beat herself up for not being able to provide more information right off the bat. If Kara seems ready to pop a blood vessel watching the exchange, well then that’s just a bonus. </p><p>“Well this is clearly going to take a while, Kara, why don’t you go fetch coffee for everyone.” Cat tells the blonde, who looks a little put out by being ordered on a coffee run. </p><p>“I won’t be able to carry 6 coffees by myself” she says indignantly. </p><p>Cat looks unbothered by Kara’s annoyance and half-heartedly waves in Lena’s direction. “Bring Luthor with you then.” At that, Kara just furrows her eyebrows and huffs out her annoyance to avoid snapping at her boss. </p><p>Lena just looks at her expectantly and Kara rolls her eyes before getting up and leaving the office, Lena following quickly behind her. </p><p>Once they’re out on the sidewalk, Lena has to do a quick jog to keep up with the blonde already making her way down the street. </p><p>“What’s up with you?” she asks once she’s finally caught up with Kara. Kara just looks at her out of the corner of her eye. “Nothing” is her short reply, eyes now focused back on the sidewalk in front of her. Lena just smirks at this response, really enjoying the reactions she’s been getting out of Kara. </p><p>“I thought you said last night that you weren’t jealous?” She goes for the big guns. Kara pauses her steps for a second before continuing on. </p><p>“I’m not, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“It’s okay you know, I get it a lot, but you don’t have to be jealous of Sam.”</p><p>“Good, cause I’m not, so you can leave it alone.”</p><p>Lena’s smirk deepens at the clear agitation present in Kara’s voice. The blonde is saying one thing but the blush on her neck and ears are telling her another. </p><p>“If you say so, but I am getting a serious jealous vibe, which is cool, just don’t get all possessive on me.” The amusement is so obvious in her tone that Kara stops abruptly and quickly faces Lena on the sidewalk. The brunette is surprised at the sudden movement but hides it well. </p><p>“Would you cool it? This mission means a lot to me and if you’re not going to take it seriously, then you may as well go back to Paris!”</p><p>This time, the surprise is written clearly across Lena’s face, she can’t help it, having not expected such an outburst from Kara. She puts her hands up in defense. “Okay, I’m sorry, alright? I’m taking this seriously, no need to get all heated.”</p><p>Kara cools down immediately, nodding once before beginning her pace down the sidewalk again. This time, Lena follows silently. </p><p>They arrive at the coffee shop and give everyone’s orders to the girl at the register. When Kara goes into the bathroom, Lena makes her way back up to the counter and orders a sticky bun. She feels like it’s something Kara would like and she wants to ease the tension between them. For some reason, Kara being upset with her isn’t sitting right in her stomach. It seems as if she can handle the cold shoulder from one Danvers sister, but not the other. </p><p>When Kara makes her way back over to where Lena is waiting, she silently hands the bag over to the agent. Kara gives her a confused look before opening the bag to see what’s inside. A soft smile overtakes her face at the thoughtful gesture and she looks up to direct it at Lena, who returns it with her own shy smile. </p><p>Kara is very touched by the other woman’s thoughtfulness. In many ways, Lena Luthor is exactly who Kara expected her to be: distant, sharp, and reserved. But, in even more ways, she’s nothing like Kara expected. She would have never guessed that the lethal assassin would buy her a pastry because she felt bad for upsetting her. All these new sides she’s seeing of Lena only make her want to get to know her more. </p><p>When their order is called, Lena goes up and takes the trays filled with their various drinks and refuses to let Kara take one. They walk back in a much less tense silence than the walk over, both just enjoying the walk and each other’s presence.  </p><p>Once they make it back to the office, they distribute the coffees to everyone in the room before taking their seats again. Lena doesn’t sit quite as close to Sam this time and if Sam notices, she doesn’t say anything. Kara, however, has a small smile on her face that she hides by taking a sip of her hot chocolate. </p><p>“So, did you guys get anywhere on a plan?” Lena asks. She watches Alex, Winn and Sam shake their heads as Cat just has a scowl on her face. </p><p>They spend the next few hours trying to come up with ideas. Each one being shot down as quickly as they’re suggested. By lunch, they are no closer than they were when they started and the frustration is clear on everyone’s face. </p><p>It’s Alex that voices her frustration first. “There has to be something we can do! We have two of their people helping us, what are we missing?”</p><p>Everyone is silent for a moment after the small outburst. Sam speaks next. </p><p>“There is something we could try.”</p><p>At this, everyone in the room, even Cat, looks at her curiously. Sam looks around at all the eyes suddenly on her before speaking up again. </p><p>“We could send someone in under the guise of wanting to work in the higher ups of the organization. Can see if they’ll agree to meet and go from there.”</p><p>“And by ‘someone’ you mean…” Winn trails off, his eyes landing on Lena. </p><p>“Yeah, Lena could make contact and say she wants more responsibilities and see if they’ll meet with her since she’s already an established member. One they’re rather fond of too.” Sam looks at Lena with slight apprehension visible on her face after suggesting the idea. </p><p>The room is silent for a moment, everyone seeming to soak in the suggestion. Lena is looking down at her hands with her brow furrowed. The plan makes sense and it’s the only one they’ve come up with in the last 5 hours that no one has immediately shot down. That is until…</p><p>“Are you all insane?!” Is Kara’s response as she looks around the room, incredulous. “You can’t actually all be considering this?”</p><p>It’s Alex that tries to calm her sister down. “Look, Kara, we know it’s not the best plan, but it’s the first one we’ve got that makes a little bit of sense. We shouldn’t just write it off. We’ll keep trying to think, but this might be the only thing we have.”</p><p>Kara just looks at her sister as if she’s grown a second head. She whips her head around the room, looking at everyone individually. When she sees that no one is going to back her up she gets even more worked up and frustrated. </p><p>“No, we are not even going to consider it an option! It is way too dangerous! What if they somehow figure out what’s going on? Hmm, then what? There are way too many things that could go wrong, we can’t just ask Lena to risk her life like that.”</p><p>Lena remains silent as they continue to argue around her. She thinks about what it would mean if she were to do this. Alex is right, this is the only plan that makes sense. She knows it, they all know it. Even Kara knows it, she’s sure, if the way her arguments are getting more and more desperate are any indication. </p><p>She focuses in on Kara, who is still arguing valiantly for Lena’s safety. She realizes then that this might be the first time anyone has been so concerned for her well-being. She draws her eyebrows together trying to think of another time, but comes up empty. </p><p>Her thoughts then drift to Lex. How he sacrificed his life in order to take so many others. She thinks of how she followed in his footsteps in an attempt to feel…something. She had been so desperate to feel anything at all that she had gone down a path she now recognizes as a mistake. She knows it was a mistake because in the past two years, she hasn’t felt anywhere close to as much as she does right now, watching Kara fight so hard for her safety. She can’t for the life of her think of why Kara is fighting so hard for her, she knows she hasn’t done anything to deserve it. She’s not a good person, she knows that, knows that she doesn’t deserve Kara’s worry or protection. But, for the first time, she wants to. She wants to deserve the fight Kara is putting up, wants to deserve the concern Kara has for her safety, wants to deserve Kara. It’s this realization that brings with it another one. She knows what she has to do, knows how she can work towards earning the concern etched on the beautiful blonde’s face. </p><p>“I’ll do it.” She interrupts whatever argument against the whole thing Kara was in the middle of. </p><p>Everyone in the room looks at her, expressions varying from surprised to confused and, in Kara’s case, distraught. She looks around at each of them, letting them see that she is completely serious. </p><p>“Well, that settles that, then” Cat says before closing her laptop and grabbing her bag. “I’m going to head out and take care of some business. Sam, I want you to make contact with whoever you need to in order to get this rolling. I want Lena out of here by tonight, we need to work fast. Lena, we’re all counting on you.” Both Sam and Lena nod their understanding before Cat leaves with one final glance at Kara, who seems to be stunned into silence. </p><p>Over the next few hours, they work non-stop in order to make sure Lena can leave that night. Sam makes contact with whoever the hell it is she speaks to from the organization, they still don’t know any names or any other information on the group. All they know is where Lena is supposed to go tonight. It had been surprisingly easy to set up the meeting. Kara made a face as if she wanted to object to how easy it was, but remains silent, barely looking at any of them. Alex continuously looks over at Kara with a nervous expression, clearly wanting to say something, but always deciding against it. When they seem to have all the details hashed out, they decide to call it a day so Lena can go back to Kara’s and get her things in order before she heads off.</p><p>She had been silently apprehensive when she was told she was to go to Dublin for the meeting. She has vague flashbacks to a shoebox apartment and a laughing woman throwing a 4-year-old Lena up in the air so that she could feel like she’s flying. She shakes the memory away, knowing she needs to focus on the task at hand and not on the fact that she has refused to return to that particular city for a reason. It’s been 20 years since she even stepped foot in the country, refusing any hit that happened to be there. This, however, she knows she can’t avoid. </p><p>They all go their separate ways when they leave the office, except for Lena and Kara, of course, who both go back to Kara’s apartment. The entire walk back is silent, similar to their walk to the office that morning. This silence, though, is filled with much more tension. Kara keeps her gaze stubbornly locked on the ground in front of her the entire time and Lena doesn’t try to speak to her, knowing the blonde agent is still upset about the plan. </p><p>When they make it back inside Kara’s apartment, Kara makes to head straight into her room, intent on locking the door behind her and not speaking about any of this. Lena has different plans, however. </p><p>“We need to talk about this.”</p><p>Kara stops dead, just as she reaches the threshold of the door to her room. For a second, Lena thinks she’s not going to turn around, that she’s just going to keep walking and slam the door behind her. So, when she quickly whirls around with a hard look on her face, Lena is taken aback. </p><p>“You want to talk about this? Which part? The part where you made a major decision on this mission without consulting me? Or the part where you blatantly disregarded everything I said in order to make that decision? Oh! Or what about the part where you’re risking your life for a mission I brought you in on?” Kara is fuming by the time she is done speaking. Lena has never seen her so mad before. She wasn’t even this made when Lena had evaded her on the subway in Berlin. </p><p>Lena is speechless, she just stands there, across the room from Kara, with her mouthing hanging slightly open. She has no idea what to say to any of that, but Kara is looking at her expectantly now. She swallows thickly before replying. </p><p>“You brought me in on this mission to help. This is the best way that I can do that.” This only seems to make Kara angrier. </p><p>“You think the only way you can help is by endangering your life?!” she asks incredulously. Lena sighs and brings her hand up to rub between her eyebrows. </p><p>“This is the only plan that has the potential to work. I know you know that so why are you fighting it so hard?”</p><p>Kara scoffs at that and doesn’t respond, just looks off to the side, shaking her head. Lena is getting frustrated too at this point. “I don’t even see why you care so much, it’s not like whether I live or die makes any real difference to your life.” Kara whips her head around to look at Lena again. A look Lena has never seen before painted across her face. Lena can’t really place the look, but it appears to be a mix between indignation and hurt. Lena doesn’t know why she would be hurt, though. </p><p>“Is that really what you think?” Kara speaks softly now. </p><p>Lena just clenches her jaw and shrugs half-heartedly. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t be true. We’ve only just met and it’s not like I’ve done a lot in my life to deserve anyone worrying about whether I live or die.”</p><p>Kara’s face is unreadable at this point and she’s not speaking, just watching Lena with a look in her eye that Lena wants to badly to decipher. She continues to just stare at her for a few more seconds, Lena squirming slightly under her intense gaze, before she scoffs lightly. </p><p>“You know, for such a genius, you really are an idiot.” </p><p>Lena furrows her brows at this, unsure of what Kara means by that. Before she can ask, though, Kara is crossing the room in a few long strides, framing Lena’s face with her hands, and crashing their lips together.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoy! Feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena doesn’t react right away, she is too shocked to really register what is happening. She doesn’t react until she feels Kara hesitate and begin to pull away. This snaps her into focus and has her pulling Kara back into the kiss by the fabric of her shirt. Kara then moves her hands that were previously framing Lena’s face so that one rests behind her neck and the other on Lena’s hip, melting into the kiss now that Lena is reciprocating. </p><p>Lena’s mind is reeling. A constant mantra of ‘Kara is kissing me, I’m kissing Kara, we are kissing!’ is running through her head as she pulls Kara closer to her, afraid that this is all a dream. She moves her hands from gripping the front of Kara’s shirt to wrap her arms around Kara’s neck, wanting to be as close as possible to the woman who is currently making her world spin. </p><p>Kara feels like she’s floating. She doesn’t know what compelled her to suddenly kiss Lena, but now she’s glad she did. Her feelings the last couple days were deeply confusing, but when Lena had agreed to go basically act as bait, everything suddenly became very clear. She cared about Lena, more than she anticipated, and when Lena had dismissed the value of her life so easily, Kara realized just how much she cared for the other woman. They really need to talk about everything, and when she feels Lena try to deepen the kiss, she pulls away gently. She wants to have that talk before anything else happens. </p><p>They’re both breathing heavy and when Kara slowly opens her eyes, she sees Lena’s are still closed, as if she’s trying to hold onto the moment and is afraid Kara won’t be there when she opens her eyes. Kara just looks at her for a moment, admiring the woman this close up, drinking in every feature while she can without Lena knowing. She smiles softly and brings the hand that was behind Lena’s neck up to cup her cheek. She rubs her thumb over Lena’s cheek bone, gently urging her to open her eyes. Which Lena does, with her own smile to match Kara’s. They just stare at each other for a moment, both processing what had just happened. </p><p>After a beat, Lena suddenly furrows her eyebrows and looks at Kara with an adorable expression of confusion. “Wait, did you just call me an idiot?” Her tone is one of mock offense, but the smile that spreads across her face immediately after gives her away. </p><p>Kara lets out a chuckle and smiles wider at the woman still in her arms. </p><p>“Yes, I did. Now let’s go sit down and have a chat shall we?” She grabs Lena’s hand and leads her over to the couch, where they sit down facing each other so that their knees are brushing. They sit in silence for a few minutes, neither one knowing where to start, until Kara decides to take the reins. </p><p>“So…” she starts, pulling Lena’s attention up from their hands that are still joined together, “that happened.” Lena just lets out a snort and rolls her eyes. “Yes it did, care to explain where that came from? Not that I’m complaining” Lena says with a small smirk that causes Kara to blush lightly. </p><p>“I don’t like the idea of you risking your life for this mission,” she cuts right to the chase. Lena lets out a quiet sigh and shuffles a little closer to Kara on the couch and taking her other hand so both their hands are clasped together between them. </p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I don’t think you do though. You just said to me that you don’t deserve for me to be worried about your safety. Is that really how you feel?” The look on Kara’s face nearly breaks Lena’s hearts. </p><p>“Yes. No…I don’t know, maybe. I’ve never actually had someone be so worried about me before.”</p><p>Kara sighs, knowing that’s not true. She thinks of Sam and how close she and Lena are. “You have Sam.” She tries to leave any lingering distaste or jealousy out of her tone, but at the look Lena gives her, she doesn’t think she’s succeeded. Lena looks up at her through her eyelashes and has the most amused smirk Kara has ever seen on her face. </p><p>“We’ll get back to that whole Sam thing by the way,” Kara can’t help the blush that dusts her cheeks at the teasing tone, “but, it’s different with her. Yeah, she worries about me, but it’s just different with her technically being my boss, or handler, whatever you want to call it. I do consider her a friend, my only friend in fact, but in this business, you can’t really show emotion.” Lena finishes with a small shrug as if trying to take all the weight out of the words she just said. </p><p>Kara is silent after this admission, she lets the words hang in the air between them. Lena then quirks her mouth up into an amused smile. “So,” she waits until Kara is looking at her again, “you were totally jealous of Sam weren’t you?” she says with a chuckle. Kara groans and leans back on the arm of the couch, pulling her hands out of Lena’s to bring them up and cover her face. Lena just laughs louder at the other woman’s antics. </p><p>“You’re mean” Kara grumbles, but it is muffled by the hands that are still covering her face. Lena leans forward, still chuckling, so that she is hovering over Kara and pulls the woman’s hands away from her face. “What was that darling, I couldn’t hear you?” She is still smiling in amusement as Kara just looks up at her with a pout and crosses her arms. </p><p>“I said you’re mean” she repeats with a huff. Lena just smirks and leans down so her mouth is right next to Kara’s ear. “You have no idea” she whispers and Kara shivers at the feeling of Lena’s breath hitting her neck. Lena pulls back a little so they are face to face again, barely an inch separating them. They stare at each other for another moment and Lena sees Kara’s eyes look down at her lips. Her lips tick up into a slight smile that causes Kara to look back up into her eyes. Lena expects her to blush at being caught, but Kara just holds her gaze steady, looking right into Lena’s eyes. Lena leans down and connects their lips for a soft kiss, which Kara immediately reciprocates. This kiss is much different than their previous one. Where that had been rushed and heated, this one is gentle and slow. </p><p>When they pull apart, they both give each other shy smiles before Lena sits back on the couch and allows Kara to sit up. Kara immediately takes Lena’s hand again and Lena tries to keep her heartbeat down at the gesture. They sit in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company, before Kara speaks again. </p><p>“Are you really going to go?” She is so quiet and unsure in her question that Lena just wants to wrap her up in her arms and never let her go. Instead, she squeezes Kara’s hand and uses her other to lift Kara’s chin to look up at her. When their eyes meet again, Lena gives her as reassuring of a smile as she can. </p><p>“Yes, I have to, and I think you know that. This is our best chance, but don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a few useful skills.” She tries to go for a joke, but it falls flat in the midst of Kara’s worry. </p><p>“Just promise me you’ll be careful?” She looks at Lena with pleading eyes and Lena is taken aback by the sheer fright she sees on Kara’s face. She realizes that Kara doesn’t need a joke right now, she just needs reassurance because, for a reason Lena still can’t comprehend, she cares about Lena and wants her to get back safe. Lena decides then that she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that look is never on Kara’s beautiful face again. She decides she will do whatever it takes to keep Kara safe and happy. </p><p>“I promise. And when I get back, you and I have a lot we need to talk about.” She squeezes Kara’s hand one more time and kisses her cheek before getting up to pack a bag. Kara just watches Lena move about her apartment, her cheek still tingling from where Lena’s lips had been. </p><p>--</p><p>Lena left for Dublin the night before and Kara did not get one minute of sleep. She was up all night worrying about the mysterious assassin, or is it now former assassin? She shakes her head, that’s a thought for another day. All the thoughts in her head were completely jumbled and trying to focus on one was proving very difficult. She’d start by wondering where Lena was at that moment, if she was okay or if something had already gone wrong. She also couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss, well both kisses, and trying to decipher what it all means. She had accepted that she has feelings for Lena, even if the realization came at the worst possible time, and is wondering what it means for them going forward. Then she starts worrying again if there will even be an opportunity to go forward or if something is going to go horribly wrong on this mission. </p><p>Basically, Kara’s mind has been giving her some internal whiplash and sleep was just out of the question. So, she stops at her favorite coffee shop on the way to the office, earlier than usual, and actually gets a coffee instead of her usual hot chocolate. If she’s going to get through this day, she’s going to need caffeine. </p><p>She arrives at the office early as they had all agreed on the night before. Lena’s meeting was in a couple hours and they all wanted to be there on the comms when it took place. They had given Lena tiny earpieces to wear so they could maintain communication throughout the interaction, both to hear what was going on and in case something happened where they’d need to extract her. When she enters their small office, Alex is the only other one there already. She looks up at Kara as the younger sister enters the room and places her bags down, barely acknowledging Alex’s presence. </p><p>Alex narrows her eyes suspiciously, clearly noticing how off her sister seems. Kara doesn’t notice her sister’s watchful gaze as she goes through the motions of taking out her computer and files from her bag and placing them on her desk. She sits down with a soft sigh and takes a large swig of her coffee, letting out a satisfied hum with a small shake of her head, attempting to wake herself up a bit. At this, Alex grows even more suspicious. </p><p>“Is that actual coffee?” She sounds disbelieving as she eyes Kara. Kara finally looks up at Alex and gives her a half shrug. “I didn’t really get any sleep last night.” Kara’s answer comes off distant and nonchalant. She really doesn’t want to tell Alex about everything that happened last night, she’s barely processing it as it is and to add Alex’s inevitable line of questions would is just not something she can handle right now. Alex furrows her eyebrows at the odd behavior and becomes intent on not letting Kara brush this aside. </p><p>“Are you still upset about sending Luthor out on this mission?”</p><p>Kara just huffs and spares a quick glance at her sister. “It’s fine.” The answer is short and doesn’t really leave room for further conversation on the topic, but that has never stopped Alex. </p><p>“I know you think it’s dangerous, but this really is our best shot at figuring out who is behind all these attacks and hits.”</p><p>Kara clenches her jaw, really not in the mood for this conversation and growing annoyed at Alex’s apparent insistence. She’s also sick of being told the same thing over and over again as justification for sending Lena on such a dangerous and reckless mission. </p><p>“I said it’s fine, now can we be done talking about this and just get to work?” She has never snapped at Alex like this before and the shock Alex feels is evident on her face. Kara would feel guilty for snapping if she wasn’t so concerned for Lena and annoyed at everyone else’s seeming lack of concern. Alex doesn’t say anything else, just lifts her eyebrows once and take a deep breath, trying not to comment on her sister’s obvious concern in fear of making her angrier. </p><p>Thankfully, Winn shows up a few minutes later and doesn’t seem to notice the tension in the room. He just hops over to his desk and begins talking animatedly about the mission and the new tech he’ll get to use today. It’s another 20 minutes before Cat and Sam show up and they can get to work. Winn pulls up the software on his computer that connects them to Lena’s comms and fires it up. The comms are designed so that they can hear everything that Lena does, while also speaking directly into her ear, and they’re small enough that no one will notice them just by looking at Lena. </p><p>When Winn has everything set up on his computer, her gestures for everyone to join him in front of it. They all crowd around his laptop and wait while he starts speaking into the microphone he has set up and connected to the computer. </p><p>“Lena? Lena can you hear me?” Winn speaks into the microphone and they all wait with bated breath as the slight static continues to come through the computer’s speaker. After a few seconds, which Kara is positive she didn’t breathe through, they hear the speaker crackle and Lena’s voice come through. “Yeah, I’m here.” Kara lets out the breath she was holding in relief at hearing the other woman’s voice. </p><p>“Awesome, what’s going on? Where are you?” Winn is way too excited over his new toy and Kara kind of wants to smack him upside the head to get him to be more serious. Instead she just curls her hands into fists at her sides and waits for Lena’s response. </p><p>“I’m at the meeting spot, waiting for whoever to show up.”</p><p>Sam leans over to speak into the microphone next. “Lena, listen, I know we said this is our only shot but if you think something doesn’t seem right, you get out of there. Trust your gut.”</p><p>Kara is suddenly very grateful for Sam’s presence. Knowing the other woman is also concerned for Lena’s safety makes Kara feel a little less alone in the cramped room they’re all stuffed into. The sound of crackling coming over the speaker again draws her gaze away from the brunette. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know you love me Sam. Don’t worry so much.” The fact that Lena is using a teasing tone also assuages Kara’s fears a little bit. It’s hard to feel too worried when Lena is talking like nothing is wrong, like she’s standing in this very room, teasing the only person she’s ever considered a friend. </p><p>“Okay, someone’s coming, shut up.”</p><p>And just like that, the fear is back tenfold. Not being able to see what’s happening on Lena’s end is causing a bubble of anxiety to rise up in Kara and she starts biting the nail on her thumb in anticipation. The line is silent for a few moments before they hear Lena utter a quiet “what the fuck?” and then the line goes dead. The slight hum of static is gone and the screen of Winn’s computer just reads in red blinking letters ‘No Connection.’</p><p>They all just stare silently at the computer for a moment before Kara shoves her way forward, next to Winn and is yelling at him “What just happened? Winn, get her back!”</p><p>“I’m trying, I’m trying, but there’s no signal!” He sounds just as panicked as Kara feels as he furiously types away on his laptop, trying to get something to work again. </p><p>Kara clenches her hands into fists to tight that her knuckles go white and she can feel her nails digging a little too hard into her palms. She can’t find it in herself to care, though, because Lena has just gone dark and they now have no way of communicating with her and anything can happen and they won’t be able to even know about it, let alone help. The continuous flow of bad thoughts is rolling through her mind like a steam engine and she suddenly finds it very hard to breathe in this cramped office. She looks up and around at the others in the room. Winn and Sam are both looking at his computer trying to somehow get a connection back. Cat is on her phone, typing furiously to god knows who and Alex is just watching Kara with clear concern written all over her face. </p><p>When Kara’s breaths begin to get shallow, Alex grabs her by the arm and pulls her out of the office. The others spare them a quick glance before getting back to their previous tasks. Alex pulls her down the stairs, out the building and into the alley between their building and the next one over. </p><p>“Breathe, just take a deep breath and slow down” she’s telling Kara in as calm a voice as she can muster. She can’t let Kara know that she is also feeling very concerned at this turn of events because she doesn’t need to freak her sister out even more than she already is. Kara is gasping for air as she tries to match Alex’s breathing as she rubs Kara’s back and takes deep breaths in and out for Kara to match. </p><p>It takes a few minutes, but eventually, Kara gets her breathing under control and slumps against the wall of the alley with her eyes closed. She is still trying to calm down her erratic heart as she focuses on her breathing. Alex just stands next to her against the wall and waits for Kara to speak this time, not wanting to push her sister at the moment. It takes another few minutes, but Kara eventually opens her eyes and stares straight ahead at the opposite wall. When she speaks, it’s the last thing Alex expects her to say. </p><p>“I kissed her last night.”</p><p>She chances a quick glance over at Alex and sees nothing but surprise written all over her face. Kara then turns her head back to continue staring at the wall. She doesn’t say anything else, just lets that sink in and waits for Alex to say something back. It takes a few minutes, but Alex eventually finds her voice. </p><p>“I’m sorry, you what?”</p><p>Kara flinched slightly at the volume of Alex’s voice. “I kissed her” she repeats, although she’s certain Alex heard her the first time. Alex seems to soak in the words and remains silence for several minutes while she paces back and forth in front of Kara, who is still leaning up against the wall. </p><p>She finally stops pacing and stops in front of Kara again, staring at her as if she’s trying to decipher a particularly difficult code. Kara began to squirm under Alex’s scrutinous gaze until the brunette sighed and began walking back out the alley. Kara furrows her brow in confusion before jogging to catch up with her sister, who had already turned and began walking down the sidewalk. </p><p>“Where on earth are you going?” Kara asked with confusion lacing her tone. </p><p>“To the bar, I need a drink if we’re going to talk about this.”</p><p>Kara stops and stares at her sister incredulously as she continues to walk down the street. “It’s 10 in the morning!”</p><p>Alex does not stop and simply calls over her shoulder, “don’t care, let’s go.” Kara huffs but jogs again to catch up with her sister who clearly has a one-track mind at the moment. </p><p>The get to Alex’s favorite pub and they’re not even the only one’s there. Kara’s not sure if this fact makes her feel better or worse. They sit down at the bar and Alex orders a drink, when the bartender turns to her, Kara just asks for a water. They don’t speak until he comes back and places their drinks in front of them. Alex takes a healthy sip of her scotch before swiveling in the seat so that she was facing Kara. </p><p>“Okay, I’m ready, now tell me what happened.”</p><p>Kara bites her bottom lip and contemplates Alex’s reaction to the story. Eventually she just decides to bite the bullet and tell her everything. She takes a deep breath before starting from when she went to Paris. She tells Alex about feeling drawn to Lena after she followed her out of her apartment when she didn’t shoot Alex. She tells her about how, when she found out her name through her search of Lex, she felt an unexplainable pull to go find her. She tells her how she just seemed to know Lena would be in Paris and how, when she showed up at Lena’s apartment, Lena didn’t slam the door in her face and run like she expected her to. She starts rambling about how she could tell then that Lena wanted a different life because “why else wouldn’t she just kill me or tell me to leave, Alex?” She tells Alex about how weird she felt the whole trip back and how nervous she got around Lena and how, at first, she couldn’t understand why she was feeling any of that.</p><p>When she gets to the part about being jealous of Sam, a blush creeps onto her face at the embarrassment of it. Alex tries to hide her smirk but fails when she lets out a loud laugh as Kara tells her about all the teasing Lena had done and how it had worked. </p><p>“So that’s why you were acting so strange when she called Sam! And then again when she actually showed up!” Alex is full on laughing at her now and Kara just huffs and crosses her arms, waiting for her sister to stop so she can finish her story. When Alex finally stops, Kara continues on. She finishes with how Lena was talking about not deserving to have anyone worry about whether she lives or dies and Alex actually gets a sympathetic look on her face as she hears that. She finishes off with how she kissed Lena and how the two of them basically admitted their feelings for each other before Lena took off to Dublin. </p><p>“And now you’re all caught up,” Kara finishes with a deep breath, recounting the whole story had taken a lot out of her and made her think about things from a bigger picture. She realized that her feelings for Lena are much deeper than she originally thought, and that scared her for several reasons. One being that, up until a few days ago, Lena had been a highly successful assassin. Another, and possibly the more important one to her at the moment, is that Lena is currently on an incredible dangerous mission and has gone completely dark. </p><p>“Wow,” is all Alex has to say, before she takes another sip of her drink. </p><p>“Yeah, wow,” Kara replies despondently as she signals the bartender to bring her a real drink. </p><p>--</p><p>They had returned to the office to find Winn and Sam still hunched over his computer, obviously still trying to figure out what happened. Apparently Lena wasn’t answering her phone either. Winn said he suspected it was either shut off or broken, but there was no way to tell which. </p><p>That had been 3 days ago. It had been 72 hours since Lena had suddenly gone dark and Kara was getting more and more worried as the hours went by. Alex had tried to comfort her, but she wasn’t really in the mood for cheering up. She just wanted to figure out what happened and hope that it wasn’t too late to get Lena back. Kara had suggested she go to Dublin and look for Lena, but Cat had shut that down immediately. She had told Kara there was no use risking losing her too and that certainly didn’t help the sickening feeling in Kara’s stomach that something really bad had happened to Lena. </p><p>Sam had given her curious looks over the past 3 days, intrigued by the way Kara seemed to be sick with worry. She had had her suspicions, and clearly she was right about their being something going on between her friend and this mysterious MI6 agent. The four of them were all working on their own computers, still trying to find something, anything, on what happened. Cat was back at MI6 headquarters showing face so no one got suspicious. They were all working silently when the door to the office was slammed open. They all look up in shock at the sudden noise and there, standing in the entryway, bruised and covered in blood, was Lena.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This ended up being sooo much longer than I anticipated. Definitely my longest chapter so far. It's also my favorite that I've written, so I hope you all enjoy it! As always, your feedback means a lot to me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They all look up in shock at the sudden noise and there, standing in the entryway, bruised and covered in blood, was Lena.</p><p>--</p><p>72 hours previously</p><p>She’s waiting at a bus stop on the outskirts of Dublin, exactly where the contact had told Sam she should wait. Her knee is bouncing rapidly as nerves fill her body. There’s a reason she doesn’t come back here. It brings up old feelings that she would much rather keep hidden. She doesn’t remember her life before the Luthor’s, she was far too young to have retained any memories when they adopted her. The only thing she knew was that this was her first home, and she doesn’t even recognize it. </p><p>All of a sudden, she hears a slight static in her ear before Winn’s voice cuts in. </p><p>“Lena? Lena can you hear me?”</p><p>His voice pops the bubble of anxiety that was building in her and she takes a deep breath before answering. “Yeah, I’m here.” She swears she hears someone let out a long breath as if they had been holding it in. She doesn’t have time to dwell on it before Winn is speaking in her ear again. </p><p>“Awesome, what’s going on? Where are you?” He sounds way too excited for the situation but she doesn’t comment on it, opting instead to just answer his question. </p><p>“I’m at the meeting spot, waiting for whoever to show up.”</p><p>There’s a brief pause and she can’t help but wonder if Kara is also at the other end of the comm. She wonders if Kara is still upset with her or if her silence across the comm is because of the other woman’s own nerves. She doesn’t have time to ponder that thought for too long before she hears Sam speaking. </p><p>“Lena, listen, I know we said this is our only shot but if you think something doesn’t seem right, you get out of there. Trust your gut.”</p><p>She doesn’t know why, but hearing Sam reassure her that she has control over the situation puts all her nerves on the backburner, at least for the moment. She can’t let Sam know how much her words mean though, or she’ll never hear the end of it. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know you love me Sam. Don’t worry so much.” She goes for a teasing tone that will hopefully assuage Sam’s worry and the worry she knows Kara is feeling. It’s as she finishes this comment that she sees someone approaching from down the road. She can’t make out who it is yet, but figuring it must be who she’s meeting she says a quick “Okay, someone’s coming, shut up” into her comm. </p><p>Lena squints slightly, trying to make out the person approaching her. It takes a few more steps before their face becomes recognizable to Lena. When she does finally see who it is, she utters “what the fuck?” under her breath before quickly, and as inconspicuously as possible, ripping the comm out of her ear and crushing it against the bench she’s sitting on. She doesn’t have time to worry about the people on the other end because approaching her, with a, now visible, smug grin on her face, is Veronica Sinclair. </p><p>She manages to keep her face stoic as Veronica approaches. In her head, however, she is freaking out. She hasn’t seen Veronica in years, since well before everything went down with Lex. They had gone to boarding school together, the one filled with pretentious rich kids that Lillian had forced her to attend. </p><p>Her and Veronica had been roommates her first year. They were neither friends nor enemies, they just kind of coexisted. Then, when Lillian started paying extra for Lena to have her own room so she could “focus on work” she didn’t really see much of Veronica anymore. Now, here they are all these years later and apparently working for the same organization. She wonders if Veronica knew who she would be meeting today. By the look on her face, Lena is guessing that the answer is yes. She then wonders how long Veronica has known of her affiliation with their mutual employer. </p><p>Veronica takes a seat at the other end of the bench Lena is sitting on. They’re both facing forward, Lena with her arms crossed, refusing to be the first to speak. After a few moments, Veronica speaks up, still facing forward. </p><p>“What are you doing, Lena?”</p><p>The question confuses Lena, but she doesn’t let it show on her face. “If you’re here, then you must know the answer to that.” She’s proud of how neutral she stays when giving the response. Lena doesn’t see Veronica roll her eyes but she can practically feel it from her spot on the bench. </p><p>“You know what I mean, don’t be a smartass. This is a dangerous game you’re playing, I hope you know what you’re doing.”</p><p>Lena does turn to look at Veronica this time, face as passive as ever. She narrows her eyes slightly and takes in the woman sitting beside her. “I should be saying the same to you. You’re clearly in deep if you’re the one they sent.”</p><p>Veronica side eyes Lena, still refusing to turn her head in the other woman’s direction, before looking forward again. “A lot has happened since boarding school” is all she says in response, then “come on, let’s go then.” She stands and starts walking back in the direction she came from. Lena gets up to follow her and feels her phone buzzing in her pocket. In a split-second decision, while Veronica’s back is to her, Lena tosses her phone into the street just as a car is passing. She watches the phone get crushed beneath the car’s tires and continues walking after Veronica. </p><p>She knows everyone will be losing their minds, but something about the situation feels different now, with Veronica showing up. She wants to deal with this on her own without any possible interruptions or intervening from her team. She can’t help but to think of Kara, though. She knows the other woman is probably losing her mind right now, if how she reacted to even the idea of Lena going on the mission is any indication. She feels bad, but she knows this is something she has to do. She wants to deserve the concern and care that Kara feels for her. With this thought, she steels herself in preparation for whatever is to come next and follows after Veronica. </p><p>--</p><p>Veronica had parked her car around the corner from where Lena had been sitting on the bench. They were now driving to an undisclosed location and Lena could feel the nerves creeping back in. She had no idea where Veronica was taking her and the unease was growing the longer they drove. Lena hates not being in control of a situation, she rarely ever experiences it, so she is feeling rather restless on the long, silent drive. </p><p>Veronica makes no move to speak with her, so Lena makes none in return. She sits quietly and stares out the window as she watches the Irish countryside zip by. She thinks of everybody back in London, most likely all freaking out at her going dark. She thinks of how Winn is probably fussing over his laptop, trying to figure out what’s wrong. She thinks of how Sam is probably pacing around the office, simultaneously worried and pissed at her. She thinks of Kara. Kara, who was probably losing her mind right now. She’s seen how the woman worries about people she cares about and, for some reason unknown to Lena, Kara cares about her. She feels guilty for making her worry, but this is just something she knows she has to do alone. </p><p>When she had agreed to the mission, she hadn’t originally planned on going rogue but when she saw Veronica walking up to her, she could feel something was off. Sam had told her to trust her gut, and upon seeing Veronica, her gut told her she had to this on her own. She isn’t sure why yet, exactly, but Lena doesn’t believe in coincidences, which means Veronica being here means something, and she’s going to figure out what it is. </p><p>These thoughts are still running through her head when Veronica takes a turn off the main road they had been on for several miles onto a barely-there dirt path. It’s then only a few more minutes until they are pulling up to a nondescript building nestled near a cliff. Veronica puts the car in park and gives Lena a look before getting out of the car. Lena is slow to unbuckle her seatbelt and follow her out, she keeps a wary eye on the building the entire time, as if she’s expecting an army to suddenly emerge and strike her down. None such army appears. Instead, Veronica makes her way lazily up to the door and, to Lena’s surprise, a retinal scanner appears and Veronica puts her eye in front of the device before she hears a click of the lock opening. Lena gives the building another scan, having not expected to see such advanced tech on the worn down looking brick building. </p><p>Upon closer inspection, Lena now sees the high tech cameras and what she believes are automated weapons, strategically hidden all over the building. Lena is impressed, if one wasn’t looking for them, they’d never be noticed by an outside observer. Veronica pauses in the doorway and turns to look back at Lena, who is still looking around the outside of the building. “Are you coming or what?” The impatience in her tone causes Lena to drag her eyes away from the impressive tech and look at the woman in front of her. She rolls her eyes at the look on Veronica’s face and walks towards the door without a response. </p><p>When they enter the building, there’s a long hallway with doors lining the entire way. Lena eyes each on apprehensively, still waiting for someone to come out and just shoot her or something. Again, nothing happens and she continues to follow Veronica down to the door at the very end of the hall. Veronica opens the door and motions for Lena to enter first. Still cautious, she slowly walks past Veronica and enters the room. When she finds it to be empty she lets out a small breath of relief, making sure to keep it quiet enough that Veronica doesn’t hear. She’s glad to be the first in the room, something about it makes her feel as though she has the upper hand and, given the situation, she’ll take that wherever she can get it. </p><p>“You can take a seat wherever,” Veronica tells her as she follows Lena into the room and closes the door behind her. Lena looks at her again and silently takes a seat at the long table in the center of the room. </p><p>“Are you going to tell me what’s actually going on here?” Lena questions. Her voice felt a little scratchy after not speaking the entire ride there, but she didn’t let it show. Veronica levels her with a look as if she’s trying to decide what she wants to tell her. </p><p>“You requested this meeting didn’t you?” Veronica’s reply is snarky and very unhelpful. </p><p>Lena rolls her eyes and crosses her arms as she sits back in her chair. “Yes, I did. Doesn’t mean I know what is happening here. In case you haven’t noticed, our employers like to keep things to themselves.”</p><p>Veronica smiles at that as she takes a seat across from Lena. “They’ll be here soon, then you’ll get some answers.”</p><p>Lena is about to open her mouth and make a comment about how cryptic and annoying Veronica was being, but before she can, the door to the room opens. Three men in smartly dressed suits enter the room. Lena just watches them as they, too, take seats across from her. With her arms still crossed, she levels each of them with a cold stare, waiting for someone to start talking. When none of them do, she lets out a huff and eyes each of them with raised eyebrows. </p><p>They all just eye her for a few moments before one of them speaks up. “We’re just waiting for one more person.” Lena glares at him as her face remains cold. She’s getting irritated by how much they are making her wait without providing any information. She’s about to voice these annoyances when the door opens yet again and anything she was about to say dies in her mouth. Whatever she was going to say eludes her. She can’t form any words as her mouth hangs slightly open because, there, in front of her, with the same smug smile and condescending eyes she remembers, is Lillian Luthor. </p><p>Lena finally closes her mouth and attempts to keep her face stoic, although she knows she’s already given away her surprise. Lillian takes her time taking the seat directly across from Lena. Lena now has five people opposite her and she does her best to not appear as small as she feels. </p><p>Lena hasn’t seen Lillian, the woman who was supposed to be her mother, since before Lex decided to blow himself and several other people up. Lillian had not bothered to reach out after the incident, likely too broken up over the loss of her golden child. It had never been a secret that Lex was their mother’s favorite. After all, he had been her “real” child. Lillian had never really been a mother to Lena after her adoption. As a child, she had been confused why the woman who she had been told would be her new mother, was so cold and mean to her. It wasn’t until several years later, when she had discovered her true parentage, which had stemmed from her father’s unfaithfulness, that she understood why. </p><p>After a brief stare-down, Lillian is the first one to speak. “Lena, dear, it’s lovely to see you.”</p><p>Lena scoffs and shakes her head. “Is it really mother?” She says the word with disdain and can see the flare of anger in Lillian’s eyes briefly before she returns to the unreadable expression she had been holding since entering the room. Lena is slightly proud to get even that slight reaction from her. </p><p>“Don’t be childish, Lena, it’s not becoming.”</p><p>Lena keeps her face neutral, eyeing her mother expectantly, waiting for her to explain what is going on. Lillian, holds her gaze for a moment before turning to look over at Veronica. </p><p>“What did you tell her?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>Lillian just nods with an approving hum as she turns back to face Lena. “Well, I guess you must be very curious right now.” Lena does not respond, with her face remaining neutral. Lillian tuts disapprovingly at this. </p><p>“Come now Lena, I taught you better than to be so rude.”</p><p>“Actually, mother, that’s exactly what you taught me. Now, enough pleasantries, let’s get down to business.” Lena has quickly become fed up with the back and forth and wants to get to the reason she’s even here. She really wants to ask what Lillian’s role is in all this, but assumes that will raise suspicions on her intentions and swallows the question for now. </p><p>Lillian actually smiles at this, clearly pleased with the clipped tone Lena uses. “As you wish, dear. We have much to discuss.” She turns to the two men to her right and is handed a file that she opens and leisurely flips through as if she has all the time in the world. Lena knows she is trying in provoke a reaction from her and refuses to give Lillian what she wants. </p><p>“So,” Lillian starts, once she apparently finds the page in the file that she was looking for, “we heard through Samantha that you want more responsibilities.”</p><p>“That would be correct.” Lena is running out of patience quickly with the woman across from her. Lillian just looks up at Lena while keeping her head pointed down at the file before continuing. </p><p>“What exactly is it that you are looking for?” This time Lillian does pick her head up as she sits back in her seat and crosses her legs, awaiting Lena’s response. </p><p>Lena had practiced what she would say when she was inevitably asked this question, so she has her answer prepared and ready to deliver. </p><p>“I’ve been with this organization for a few years now and I think I’ve proven my worth. I want to do more than just be an errand girl for you. I want to do more higher up work. I think I’ve earned it.”</p><p>She keeps her face straight as she delivers the practiced lines, making sure not to slip up and let anything by that would tip Lillian or anyone else off as to her true intentions here. Lena is smart, she knows how to play the long game. She isn’t about to come in here, guns blazing, and demand answer as to how their entire operation is run. She knows that would not go over well and is smart enough to know when she is outmatched. She is fully aware that she would stand no chance of making it out of here alive if she were to do that. That would mean this whole mission would be for naught and she will have let Kara down. </p><p>Lillian seems to ponder the answer for a few moments before the barest of smiles makes its way onto her face. “I suppose you are right, you have done decent work for us the past couple years.” Lillian continues to peruse through the file in front of her that Lena can only assume is her own. She knows that’s about as close to a compliment as Lillian will ever give her, so she takes it for what it is. So Lena just gives her mother a short nod of approval. </p><p>Lillian finally closes the file and looks around at everyone sitting at the table. “Well, why don’t we call it a day for now while I figure out what exactly we are going to do with you dear.” Everyone else nods but Lena lets out a short scoff. </p><p>“You have me travel all the way here, only for the meeting to last 5 minutes?” The incredulousness in her voice is quite obvious. Lillian seems indifferent to Lena’s annoyance and just waves her hand slightly as if to brush off Lena’s question. </p><p>“I wanted to make sure you were committed. Now that I know you are, since you have come all this way, I am willing to consider your… promotion, so to speak.” Lena clenches her jaw, trying not to give her mother the reaction she knows she’s looking for. She plasters on one of the fakest smiles she knows she’s ever given and says “no problem, but what do you expect me to do in the meantime?” Secretly, she’s hoping her mother will allow her to look around the building. She wants to scope the place out and see what she can find out. She knows this will not be the case though, when Lillian gives her a similar disingenuous smile. </p><p>“You may feel free to enjoy the town, we have set you up with a room.” Lena should have known she would not be allowed to stay on sight. She may not have known the details of her employment, but she wouldn’t have been doing what she has for so long if they weren’t excessively cautious and secretive. She decides not to argue and just nods as she is led out of the room by Veronica. She is silent, yet again, the entire ride to the hotel Lillian has apparently decided to put her up in. When they arrive, Lena gives it an approving glance. If her mother can be counted on for anything, it’s always having a taste for the finer things in life. The hotel is clearly five stars and most likely the nicest in the area. </p><p>Veronica does not get out of the car, just rolls down the window and tells Lena not to go too far outside of the town before driving off. Lena is certain that there is at least one person watching the hotel to keep an eye on her, but feigns ignorance. She walks into the hotel and takes the key from the concierge that was apparently waiting for her. Lena briefly wonders how many people Lillian has under her command but quickly pushes the thought aside. She would need weeks to list the number of people she’s sure Lillian has in her pocket. </p><p>The room is nice, Lena doesn’t bother looking for the bugs she’s sure are there to keep tabs on her. She puts down her bag that she had hastily stuffed a couple days’ worth of clothes into and takes a seat on the bed. She lets out a heavy sigh and leans forward with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She can only imagine the shitshow going on in the office back in London. </p><p>She doesn’t end up “enjoying the town” as Veronica had put it. In fact, she doesn’t even leave her room. She orders room service, making sure to get some of the most expensive items she can with Lillian footing the bill. She finds her mind wandering to her mother often. She has so many questions about her mother’s involvement in her work over the past few years. Was she working there when Lex was? Was she the one who has been calling all the shots? Did she know what Lex was planning?</p><p>All these questions are swirling in her mind and she finds it very hard to focus on anything else. She decides to go to bed early, finally becoming fed up with all the thoughts going through her head and wanting to shut everything out. She gets herself ready to sleep and, unsurprisingly, finds herself struggling to fall asleep with the way her mind is racing. When she finally does manage to drift into unconsciousness, it’s with thoughts of a certain blonde running through her head. </p><p>--</p><p>When Lena wakes, it’s to a loud knocking on her hotel room door. She rubs her eyes groggily as she attempts to shake off the last few vestiges of sleep. She has never been a morning person and a quick glance at the clock tells her it’s not even 8 o’clock yet. She’s grumbling under her breath when she opens the door to see Veronica, looking impatient as she waited for Lena to answer. </p><p>“What?” Lena doesn’t bother with pleasantries. </p><p>“Good morning to you too.” Veronica walks past Lena without waiting for an invitation. “I was sent to bring you back, so get ready.”</p><p>Lena just rolls her eyes as she closes the door. “Fine, give me 10 minutes.” Veronica just gives her a look as if to tell Lena to hurry up. </p><p>It’s 20 minutes later that Lena finds herself back in the passenger seat of Veronica’s car. The ride is silent once again and Lena finds her mind drifting to its seemingly favorite subject: Kara. She can’t help but wonder what the other woman is doing or thinking right now. Her thoughts are interrupted when they pull up to the same building as yesterday. They exit the car and go through the same process as yesterday with the retinal scanner reading Veronica’s eye before allowing entry. Lena eyes the cliff the building rests on before following Veronica inside. For some reason, entering the building today feels different than yesterday. She’s not sure what is different but something in her gut is telling her there’s something not quite right. She decides to ignore it for now, figuring it’s just her paranoia setting in. </p><p>This time, they do not go down the long hallway towards the same room as yesterday. Instead, Veronica leads them through the first door on their left as they enter the building. The door leads to another hallway which has a similar set up as the previous. As they make their way down the hall, Lena can’t help but feel a sense of foreboding as they pass all the nondescript doors. </p><p>Veronica leads them to the door all the way at the end of the hall. When they enter the room, Lena immediately knows something is wrong. Lillian is sitting behind a large desk on the opposite end of the room and has several large men on either side of her, all of which has very visible firearms on their hips. </p><p>Lena goes to turn around and give Veronica a questioning gaze but when she does, all she sees is her back as she exits the room, closing the door behind her. When Lena hears a click of the lock, she knows she’s in trouble. She turns back to face Lillian and sees a victorious smile on her mother’s face. She spares quick glances at the men beside her mother before locking eyes with Lillian. A slow smile makes its way onto Lillian’s as she apparently can sense Lena’s apprehension at the sudden turn of the situation. </p><p>“Tell me, Lena, how is Kara doing?”</p><p>Lena can’t keep in her surprise as her eyes go wide at her mother’s words. Lillian lets out a soft chuckle at the reaction. </p><p>“Did you really think we don’t know exactly what is going on? You should know by now that you can’t keep anything from us.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes dart around the room, looking for an escape. The only thing she sees is a window, but it is facing the edge of the cliff and she knows the drop is way farther than she wants to risk. When her search comes up empty, she returns her gaze to her mother, who is looking at her with pure amusement in her eyes. Lena decides to try her luck at feigning innocence. </p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>Lillian lets out a full laugh at that. “Oh, dear, we are way past that, you shouldn’t even bother.”</p><p>Lena clenches her jaw at the condescending tone her mother uses. She mentally kicks herself for thinking this plan could have actually gone their way. Kara is never going to let her live this down if she manages to get out of this. That possibility is looking less and less likely as she takes in the situation. With a locked door, no other exit for escape and 3 arms muscle men in front of her, she is not liking her chances of getting out of this alive. She decides to try her luck at keeping her mother distracted while she attempts to come up with some sort of plan for escape. </p><p>“What is it you think you know?” She wants to keep Lillian talking, she knows how much her mother enjoys it. Lillian leans back in her chair and links her fingers together in front of her. </p><p>“You think we don’t keep tabs on all our personnel? We have eyes on you at all times. We knew when she came to your apartment in Paris and we knew when you seemed to willingly leave it with her. Of course we had someone follow you to London. And imagine my surprise, when my best assassin seemed to have turned against me. After everything we have done for you, everything we’ve given you.”</p><p>Lena rolls her eyes and scoffs at her mother’s words. “Everything you’ve done for me? I’m nothing more than a personal errand girl to you. You have me do all your dirty work and repay me by constantly spying on me apparently.”</p><p>Lillian cocks her head to the side, apparently amused at Lena’s annoyance. “You should know more than anyone that you can never be too cautious in this business. It seems we were right to keep an eye on you given the circumstances we find ourselves in now.”</p><p>Lena keeps her cold glare leveled on her mother. She wants nothing more than to wipe that smug grin right off her face. “Did you keep the same tabs on Lex? Did you know he was going to go and blow himself up?” She sees the change on her mother’s face immediately and thinks maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to say in her situation. Lillian’s face is as cold as she’s ever seen it and when she gives a brief hand signal to the men beside her, Lena knows she fucked up. They begin walking towards her and Lena looks around the room, searching for anything she can use to defend herself. </p><p>When the first man approaches her, she ducks his swing and runs to grab a lamp. She spins around and attempts to hit the next guy over the head with it. He grabs it before she can even finish her swing and rips it out of her hands. The momentum sends her flying to the floor and she winces as she lands on her wrist. She slowly gets up as the men begin to approach her again. She picks up the closest object to her, which happens to be an expensive looking miniature statue. She chucks it at the nearest man and is rather proud of herself when it hits him square in the head and produces a steady flow of blood. It seems to anger the other two though, because one of them pulls out his gun and aims it at her. Lena ducks barely in time and hears the shattering of glass as the bullet goes through the window. </p><p>Through it all, Lillian stays seated behind her desk, watching the scene unfold before her with fury in her eyes. Lena whips her head around, searching for something, anything she can use to keep fighting. When she finds none, she knows she’s run out of time. She steels herself as she turns to look at her mother again. </p><p>“You always were a coward, never fighting your own battles. You sent Lex out to do your bidding and he went crazy and killed himself because of it. His death is your fault.” The anger on her mother’s face is at a level she had never seen before, and she had thought she’d seen it all growing up. She looks at the two men left standing, who are now looking back and forth between herself and Lillian, before facing her mother yet again. “You’re the reason Lex lost himself, but I refuse to let you do the same to me.” </p><p>With those words, Lena turns quickly and throws herself out the, now shattered, window. She feels the broken glass cut her skin in several places as she jumps and, while she’s in the air, hears the sound of another gunshot ring. She feels the bullet graze her arm as she sails through the air. </p><p>The only thing Lena can register, though, is the sight of the quickly approaching slope of the cliff. She braces herself as best she can for the impact, but not much can stop the crippling pain that shoots through her when she lands. The steep cliff allows her momentum to take her tumbling down, rolling over several rocks as she goes. When she finally stops at the base of the cliff, on the beach below, she is positive she will never be able to get up. She lays there for several minutes before one single image pops into her head. It’s an image she has become all too familiar with invading her thoughts. The smiling face of Kara Danvers is what motivates her to, slowly, sit up. She takes a quick assessment of her body and, by some miracle, seems to have managed to avoid breaking literally every bone in her body. </p><p>She slowly brings herself to her feet, taking it slow due to the immense pain the fall has brought on. She keeps thinking of Kara as she slowly makes her way down the beach in the opposite direction of the building she just jumped out of. She knows she has to keep going for Kara, knows that she has to see her again. The only thing she doesn’t know, is how on the hell she is going to get back to London. She doesn’t know exactly where she is, only that it’s somewhere in southern Ireland. She knows Lillian has probably already sent her goons after her in case she survived the fall, so she sticks close to the base of the cliff as she makes her way down the beach. </p><p>It’s several hours later and the sun is beginning to set when she comes across a small fishing port. Relieved at the sight of other people, Lena makes her way over to one of the men on the dock that she assumes to be a captain. </p><p>“Excuse me, sir, does that happen to be your ship?” She points to the only ship in the dock at the moment. The man turns to her with a proud smile as he answers her question. “Why yes, that beaut-“ he stops short though when he takes in Lena’s appearance. “My goodness, look at you! What on earth happened to ya?” Lena tries to shake away the comfort his brogue seems to bring her and focus on her task at hand. “It doesn’t matter, but would you happen to be sailing to anywhere near London?” The question is filled with such desperation she can see the concern in his eyes only grow. </p><p>“Why yes darlin’, I’m about to head out to deliver some catch to that very city.”</p><p>The relief Lena feels is overwhelming as she lets out a large sigh. “Is there any way you can take me with you?” The man seems hesitant at her question. “I don’t know darlin’, the waters not too good today, might be a bit rough for ya.”</p><p>Lena shakes her head rapidly. “I don’t care, please just take me with you.” She looks behind her as she says it and the combination of her appearance and evident fear must help in his decision, because he is agreeing almost immediately. </p><p>“Yes, yes, okay. Let’s go, I’ll bring you aboard.” He gently places his hand on her back to lead her to the ship. Lena can’t help but look behind her again, just in case. When she sees no one following her, she lets her shoulders relax slightly. She follows him aboard and he brings her down into the cabin areas and leads her to a single room. </p><p>“It’s going to be a bit of a long trip, we got some stops to make along the way.”</p><p>“That’s fine, thank you so much for this, you have no idea how much it means.”</p><p>“Ain’t nothing to thank, I’ll always help a fellow Irishman. Let me go grab you some grub, I’ll be right back.” He stops at the door and turns back to her, “Name’s Patrick by the way.” He then turns back and heads out towards what she assumes is the kitchen. </p><p>Lena is surprised by his statement. She hadn’t been aware that her accent was coming out as much as it had been. It always seemed to make a more prominent appearance when she was frightened and she had no idea why. He comes back a few minutes later with a bowl of soup and half a loaf of bread. “Eat up, darlin’, you look like you could use some strength. She thanks him again before he leaves the room for the final time. She devours the meal quickly, having not eaten anything all day. </p><p>When she’s done she places her bowl on the table beside her bed before sitting back with her back against the wall. She gingerly lifts up her bloodied shirt to inspect all her wounds. She finds several cuts littering her abdomen and can feel even more on her back and arms. Most of them aren’t very deep, but some look like they might need stitches. She lowers her shirt again and sighs. She has no idea how she got here but she is grateful to be on her way back to London. Back to Kara. When she feels the ship pulling away from the dock, she closes her eyes and, for the second night in a row, falls asleep with the image of Kara at the forefront of her thoughts. </p><p>--</p><p>She wakes with a start when she feels the boat lurch. She looks around, trying to get her bearings and remembers where she is. She has no idea how long she slept for and is still trying to get the fog of sleep out of her head when there is a knock on the door. </p><p>“Come in” she calls and a moment later Patrick is entering the room. </p><p>“We’ve made it to London, darlin’, channel is a bit narrow so we have to take the one of the dinghy’s to get to the city port. We’re leaving in 10 minutes.” </p><p>She nods her understanding and thanks him again before he nods and closes the door. She is slow in getting out of bed, the soreness from her fall having set in full blast during her sleep. She makes her way up to the deck and the sight before her brings a few tears to her eyes. In the distance, she can see the city she has been longing for the past 72 hours.</p><p>Kara is here, is the first thought that pops into her head. She makes her way over to Patrick who is loading up the dinghy with the fish he plans to sell in the market place. As the boat is lowered into the water, all she can think of is getting back to the office and seeing Kara again. She knows the other woman must be beside herself with Lena having been gone as long as she has without any communication. </p><p>When the boat makes it to the pier, Lena accepts Patrick’s help in getting out of the boat. </p><p>“Do you know where yer goin’?” The concern in his voice brings an overwhelming sense of gratitude over Lena and she steps in to hug him. He is clearly just as surprised by the action as she is. “Thank you” is all she says to him when she pulls away. He just gives her a smile that she returns before turning and making her way off the pier. </p><p>She goes to hail a cab before remembering that she left her bag with her wallet back in the hotel in Ireland. She sighs, realizing she will have to walk the rest of the way to the office because she knows that’s where they’ll be. She steels herself and begins the staggering journey towards the building she has quickly become familiar with. </p><p>The walk takes much longer than usual given all her injuries, but she finally makes it to the office building and stops in front of it. She stares up towards the window she know belongs to their office. The knowledge that Kara is behind that window gives her the extra strength she needs to climb the stairs towards it. She pauses briefly in front of the door, her heart rate suddenly picking up as she just feels the blonde’s presence on the other side. After a moment, she grabs the handle and slams the door open. Four pairs of eyes snap up to her and she can see the surprise on all their faces. She hones in on one pair of eyes, though and all she sees is a mix of surprise, concern and panic in the blue eyes she has grown very attached to in a very short amount of time. </p><p>It’s those eyes she’s looking into as the rest of the room goes fuzzy. She realizes too late that this is because the events of the past 72 hours are finally catching up with her. She feels her body begin to fall and has no control over it. The last thing she feels is strong arms wrapping around her before her vision goes black.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kara couldn’t stop bouncing her knee up and down as she stared at the woman lying in the bed in front of her, the rhythmic beeping of the multiple monitors surrounding the bed fill the otherwise quiet room. They had brought Lena to the hospital after she had collapsed, with Kara only barely managing to catch her before she hit the ground. </p><p>She remembers the feeling of her heart picking up speed when she had seen Lena enter the office, and she remembers how quickly it plummeted when she watched her collapse. Lena had come back to them after three days of silence covered in blood and bruises. If she had thought Lena looked bad, the reality was much worse. Lena had been bleeding from multiple cuts on her arms and torso, some of which had shards of glass wedged in them, and there was more skin covered in bruises than not. On the way to the hospital, it had taken everything in Kara to prevent her tears from falling. Holding Lena’s beaten body in her arms had not helped in pulling Kara’s heart out of her stomach. </p><p>When they had finally made it, after Alex had broken a few speed limits, the nurses had rushed Lena into an operating room as soon as they saw Kara run in carrying her in her arms. It was a couple hours later, with everyone waiting anxiously in the waiting area and Kara refusing to cease her pacing, that the doctor came out to give them an update. When the doctor had asked for Sam, stating that she was Lena’s emergency contact, the woman had seemed very surprised. Kara thinks that the other woman had no idea how much trust Lena had in her. </p><p>He had explained to them that it seemed as though Lena had taken a large fall, as her left arm was broken in three places along with two of her ribs. The biggest concern, though, had been the internal bleeding she had come in with. According to the doctor, if she had been brought in much later, she most likely would not have survived. As it is, he told them that she was currently in a medically induced coma and there was still a chance of her not coming out of it. Kara had stormed out of the hospital at that, needing to take a walk to calm herself down. She was grateful when Alex hadn’t followed her, seeming to know when Kara needed to be by herself. When she had finally cooled down enough to return, Alex, Winn and Sam all looked at her with concerned stares before a nurse came over to lead them to Lena’s room. </p><p>That had been 36 hours ago, and Kara has yet to leave Lena’s side. She refused all of Alex’s offers to stay with Lena and let Kara go home to get some rest. Even the promise of a call if anything changed didn’t change Kara’s mind. She wanted to be there when Lena woke up. As she watches the other woman sleep, she can’t help but wonder what happened to Lena during those three days. The doctor had been able to control the bleeding in her abdomen, had placed a cast on her left arm and placed bandages over all the cuts and lacerations littering her body. The sight brought tears back to Kara’s eyes. Seeing Lena like this hurt her more than she ever imagined. Every time she had thought about how she had almost lost her, could still lose her, a hollow feeling takes over her chest. </p><p>When she begins to feel her breathing quicken and her chest feel tighter and tighter she reaches forward and grabs Lena’s hand. The grounding feeling it brings her helps to calm her rapid heartbeat. Lena is right here, she reminds herself, she’s right here and she’s stable. Kara takes a couple deep breaths and drops her head down onto their joined hands. </p><p>This is how Alex finds her when she enters the private room a few minutes later with her hands full of take out bags. She pauses in the doorway and just watches the scene in front of her. Alex hadn’t been aware of how deep Kara’s feelings for the Luthor apparently went when Kara had told her about them. If the last several days were any indication, she’s not sure even Kara is aware of how deep her feelings went. Alex is still wary of Lena for what she believes are obvious reasons, but she can’t deny that the woman has really stepped up and done a lot for them in this investigation. She also can’t help but remember the look in Lena’s eyes when she had confronted Alex with an intent to kill. Alex had seen the look the other brunette had given Kara before she sent her shot wide, avoiding hitting Alex. She also saw the look in her eyes when she had realized what she’d done. So, while she’s still apprehensive, she can’t deny that Lena clearly feels the same for Kara as Kara does for her. </p><p>She doesn’t want to interrupt her sister’s moment, but she knows it’s been a while since she has eaten, which for Kara is unheard of. She gently clears her throat and watches as Kara slowly lifts her head up. She then notices their joined hands and gives her sister a smile she hope isn’t too filled with pity, knowing how much Kara hates it. </p><p>“Hey,” Kara says sleepily before letting out a yawn that she tries to stifle. Alex places the bag on the table at the other end of the room before making her way over to her sister. </p><p>“Still no change?” Kara shakes her head dejectedly at the question and Alex just puts her hand on Kara’s back and begins rubbing soothing circles as Kara turns her attention back to Lena. </p><p>“The doctors said it could be weeks before she wakes up.” She’s looking at Lena as she says it, but Alex can hear the pain in her voice. She doesn’t say anything because she knows there’s nothing to say, really. Instead she heads over to the bags she had put down and begins taking out their contents. </p><p>“I brought food, you need to eat. It’s your favorite.” Kara finally pulls her gaze away from the woman lying on the bed. </p><p>“Potstickers?” When Alex nods, Kara gives her what Alex assumes is as close to a smile as her sister can muster at the moment. She casts one more longing look at Lena before reluctantly releasing her hand and heading over to where Alex now has the copious amounts of Chinese food laid out. Kara grabs one of the many containers of potstickers and returns to her previous seat beside Lena. Alex pulls one of the other chairs in the room up beside Kara and takes a seat as well. They sit in silence for a few moments while Kara shovels her food into her mouth, not taking her eyes off the woman still asleep in the bed. </p><p>Alex just watches Kara as she continues to stare at Lena and feels her heart constrict at the sadness she sees on her sister’s face. </p><p>“You really care about her don’t you?” Alex questions her sister. Kara finally looks away from Lena to look her sister in the eyes. </p><p>“I really do,” she says simply, glancing back at Lena once more before turning her body to face Alex. “She’s not what you would expect at all. I mean, yeah, she’s done some terrible things, but she’s a good person, I know it. You saw how determined she was to succeed on this mission. And when she told me that she didn’t deserve for me to care about whether she lives or dies, I could see in her eyes that she believed it. I think that’s why she was so ready to go, she felt like she has something to prove.”</p><p>Alex can hear the slight tremble in her sister’s voice towards the end of her short speech. She can see on her face how much this whole situation pains her. Alex decides then that, despite her own reservations, she was going to follow Kara’s lead when it came to Lena. She trusts her sister more than anyone and if Kara trusts Lena, then so will she. Instead of voicing this, though, she silently takes the empty food container out of Kara’s hand before placing them on the ground. She then wordlessly moves closer to Kara and pulls her into her side. Kara rests her head on Alex’s shoulder and winds her arms around her waist. Alex just keeps her arms wrapped around her sister and continues to hold her. When she feels a damp spot grow on her shoulder she says nothing, she just lets Kara cry silently for as long as she needs while she rubs Kara’s back with soothing circles. </p><p>Alex leaves about an hour later with a promise to be updated if Lena’s condition changes and Kara has returned to her previous position of holding Lena’s hand as she just watches the woman sleep. She’s glad Alex stopped by, she was glad for the company and brief distraction of food. Now, however, Kara’s mind is full with thoughts of the woman lying in front of her. She wants more than anything for Lena to wake up and ease the ball of worry that has settled in her stomach. She can feel her heart picking up again and drops her head down onto their joined hands resting on the bed. She takes several deep breaths in and out to try and calm herself down. Once she has her heart back down to a normal speed, she keeps her head where it is. Several moments later she feels their hands move under her head slightly. She brushes it off, figuring she must have shifted without realizing, and doesn’t move from her current position. When she feels fingers squeeze her own, though, she slowly lifts her head up and sees, looking back at her, those green eyes she has been dreaming of for the past several days. </p><p>--</p><p>When Lena began to stir, the first thing she registered was a beeping sound off to her left. The second thing she registered was a weight settled on her right hand. She began to slowly blink her eyes open and the harsh light of whatever room she was in forced her to shut them immediately again. The first thing she thinks is that she’s back in Lillian’s hideout, trapped, and that she had dreamed her entire escape. However, when she moves the fingers on her right hand and feels another hand holding it under the weight she had previously felt, she figures that must not be the case. After all, who would be holding her hand if she was being detained by Lillian?</p><p>When she is finally able to open her eyes, the sight she sees in front of her is one that nearly melts her heart. She recognizes that she is in a hospital and the beeping was actually the heart monitor she is connected to. That’s not what draws her attention, though. That would be Kara. Kara, who is sitting beside her bed with her hand in Lena’s and her head resting on their conjoined hands. The sight brings a smile to her face as she continues to stare at the woman beside her. She wonders how long she’s been in this bed because it looks as though Kara has been there a while. Her heart sinks slightly at the thought of how much she’s put Kara through in just a few days. First she left against the woman’s wishes and went dark for three days, then, when she does show up, the state she was in must have really given Kara a fright. </p><p>She decides it’s time to alert Kara to her consciousness and gives her hand a slight squeeze. She watches as Kara slowly lifts her head from where she had it resting on their hands and when their eyes meet, she can see the surprise and relief swarming in her eyes. </p><p>“Lena, oh my god!” Kara exclaims loudly as she goes to hug Lena before seeming to think better of it as she pauses with her arms outstretched. “How do you feel? Do you want me to get the doctor?” Kara rambles off her questions quickly, still keeping her hands hovering around Lena’s body, not wanting to hurt her with all her injuries. </p><p>Lena’s heart melts all over again at the care and concern Kara is displaying for her right now. A wicked idea crosses her mind and she puts on a mask of confusion. </p><p>“Do I know you?” she asks Kara, trying to contain her smirk. </p><p>The look on Kara’s face changes from concerned to devastated instantly upon hearing the question. Her eyes scan Lena’s face, searching for a hint of recognition. When she finds none she steps back quickly as if she had been burned and begins stammering. </p><p>“Oh, um… well I’m –“ Kara struggles with her words and the combination of her stammering and crestfallen look prevents Lena from keeping a straight face any longer. An amused smirk makes its way onto her face before it breaks out into a grin and she begins laughing. Kara immediately stops her speaking and looks at her incredulously. </p><p>“You ass! That was so mean!” Kara crosses her arms and pouts at the woman who is now full on cackling in the bed in front of her. Lena stops laughing abruptly with a hiss as she clutches her side when a sharp pain overcomes her. Upon seeing Lena grimacing in pain, Kara forgets her annoyance and rushes to Lena’s side. She gently places her hands on Lena’s forearm that isn’t wrapped in a cast. </p><p>“You broke two ribs and have a lot of cuts and bruises on your torso.”</p><p>Lena feels her heart pick up at how close Kara is right now, she looks into the bright blue of her eyes and gets lost. The same seems to be true for Kara because, she too, has gone silent and is just looking into Lena’s eyes. Lena reaches up with her good hand and wraps it around the back of Kara’s neck. When Kara shows no objection, Lena pulls her head down so their lips can meet. The kiss is soft and slow, much different than when Lena was about to leave. Kara still seems scared of hurting Lena and only places her hand on Lena’s check as she kisses her back. Thanks to her broken ribs, Lena has to come up for air much sooner than she would like. She reluctantly pulls her lips away from Kara’s, but doesn’t release her grip on the back of her neck, instead opting to rest her forehead against the other woman’s. </p><p>Despite the slow nature of the kiss, they are both breathing heavily. Kara has her eyes clenched shut as she keeps her forehead pressed against Lena’s. Lena moves her hand from the back of Kara’s neck up into her hair and begins scratching lightly at Kara’s scalp. </p><p>This seems to be some sort of switch for Kara because the next thing Lena knows, Kara has her face buried in her neck and Lena can feel as Kara begins to cry silently. Concerned, Lena carefully brings her other hand up to wrap around Kara’s shoulders and she pulls the woman in closer to her. She lets Kara stay there until her sobs subside and she pulls away slightly from Lena’s neck and wipes her eyes. Lena just looks at her with concern as she puts her hands on Kara’s face and uses her thumbs to wipe away some of the remaining tears on the woman’s cheeks. </p><p>Kara sniffles a couple more times before she goes to lay down in the bed as gently as possible, making sure not to jostle Lena and bother any of her injuries. Once they are settled with Kara’s head on Lena’s shoulder and Lena’s good arm wrapped around Kara while Kara carefully hugs her waist, Lena places a soft kiss on the top of Kara’s head. </p><p>“I thought I lost you,” Kara says quietly after a few more moments of silence. </p><p>“Oh, darling, I’m sorry I scared you like that. But I’m right here, and I promise I’m not going anywhere.”</p><p>Kara turns her head more into Lena’s neck and breathes in deeply. “But you did, you left and then you went completely dark for three days. We didn’t hear from you, we had no idea what happened and I thought the worst. You just disappeared without warning.”</p><p>Lena can tell Kara is trying to hold in her tears again just from the strain in Kara’s voice when she speaks. </p><p>“I’m sorry for going dark, I just panicked when I saw who I was meeting. I didn’t know what was going on because I knew the woman who met me, I had met her before, and I just knew something wasn’t right and –“</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait,” Kara interrupts her and sits up, still careful not to jostle Lena too much, “are you saying you went dark on your own? That you destroyed your own comm?” Her eyebrows were furrowed deeply and Lena realizes that Kara must have thought she was ambushed or taken captive or something and not that she had gone dark on her own. She swallows thickly at the anger she sees flash in Kara’s eyes. </p><p>“Yes,” she says sheepishly as she looks down at her bandaged arm. She feels Kara begin to pull away and looks up alarmed as she tightens her grip around the other woman’s shoulders.  She looks at Kara with pleading eyes and, despite the clear anger she sees on Kara’s face, Kara settles back down against her, although she is much stiffer than she was a moment ago. </p><p>Lena lets out a breath of relief and closes her eyes as she presses her face into Kara’s hair. She can already feel Kara releasing some of her tension begin to relax against Lena again. </p><p>“You better explain everything that happened during those three days right now Lena Luthor.”</p><p>Lena chuckles lightly at the use of her full name and the stern voice Kara tried to use. Nevertheless, she begins to recount the events that took place during her time in Ireland. She tells Kara about Veronica meeting her and how they knew each other from boarding school and how Lena was confused what was going on when she saw Veronica arrive to meet her. She then tells Kara about seeing her mother and how Lillian was apparently running the whole show. Kara was silent the entire time up until the mention of Lena’s mother. </p><p>“When was the last time you had seen her?” </p><p>“More than two years ago, before Lex.”</p><p>“Do you think she was running things when he was a part of the organization? Do you think she knew about his plan?” Kara knows this is a touchy subject, but she’s still an investigator and these details could be important. Lena takes a deep breath at the question and Kara tightens her hold around Lena’s waist slightly. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to hopefully ground and comfort Lena as much as is possible. </p><p>“I think she was. I brought it up later and the look in her eyes told me everything. She blames herself for his death. She’s become even colder and more heartless because of it, and I didn’t think that was possible.”</p><p>Kara doesn’t reply with words, she silently turns and kisses the underside of Lena’s jaw before tucking herself back into the spot between Lena’s neck and shoulder. Lena takes a deep breath before continuing. </p><p>She tells Kara about being sent to the hotel the first day and how she hadn’t seen anything beside the one hallway and room that she had been brought to. She then tells her about Veronica picking her up early the next morning and bringing her back to the base. She explains that she was brought to a different room than the previous day. At this point, she pauses in her retelling of the story. Kara notices immediately and shifts so that she’s looking at Lena face to face. </p><p>“What is it?” </p><p>“I just don’t know if you really want to hear this part.”</p><p>Kara feels her chest swell with affection at the concerned look Lena is giving her. She leans up and kisses her softly. Lena seems to melt into it as she tightens her grip around Kara’s shoulders. They break apart and Lena leans up to kiss Kara on the forehead. Kara closes her eyes at the gesture and tucks her head back under Lena’s jaw when she pulls away. </p><p>“I know I won’t want to hear it if it ends with you like this, but I think it’s important that I know.” She can feel Lena smile slightly from where her cheek is resting against Kara’s head. “Okay darling.”</p><p>She then goes on to tell Kara about the armed men Lillian had been waiting for her with and how the whole thing had been a trap. She tells her that Lillian somehow found out about their plan and knew Lena was working with Kara because she had people tailing her everywhere she went in Paris. </p><p>Lena can feel Kara stiffen when she hears this part, but she relaxes quickly and gives Lena a gentle squeeze around the waist to indicate she should keep going. Lena tells her how Lillian meant to kill her in that room but that she had jumped out a window leading out to the cliff the building had sat on. She tells her how she hadn’t fully expected to survive the jump, but that she wouldn’t give Lillian the satisfaction of being the one to kill her. </p><p>She finishes her story by telling Kara about walking along the cliff until she got to the fishing port. How she had gotten a ride to London from a fishing captain and that, from there, she had walked the several blocks to the office building and climbed the stairs until finally collapsing in Kara’s arms. </p><p>When she finishes recounting her time in Ireland, Kara is pressed as close as she possibly can to Lena’s side without hurting her. This is the position they’re in when the nurse comes in to check on them. Kara realizes she had forgotten to tell anyone that Lena had woken up when she sees the surprised look on the nurse’s face. She offers him a sheepish smile and he just chuckles under his breath before going to check Lena’s vitals and fill out her chart. He then leaves and says a doctor should be in shortly to speak with them. </p><p>Kara doesn’t make a move to get up and Lena is certainly not about to say anything, just glad to have the other woman in her arms again. The doctor comes in a few moments later and they do sit up upon his arrival. Lena tries to hide the pain the movement causes but Kara catches on right away. She grabs Lena’s hand and squeezes it in encouragement as Lena sits up the rest of the way. </p><p>“Well Miss. Luthor, you certainly gave us all a scare there, I’m glad to see you up and alert.” The doctor then goes on to explain all of Lena’s injuries to her and what the recovery process will look like. Lena only half pays attention, fully aware that Kara is listening like a hawk and taking mental notes of everything the doctor is saying. When she finishes explaining the importance of rest to Lena’s healing process, she tells Lena that she is free to go home as soon as she signs a few papers. </p><p>To say Lena is relieved about not having to spend the night in the hospital would be an understatement. She is eager to return to the office and get to work on taking down Lillian. </p><p>Kara gets up from the bed and Lena immediately misses the warmth of having her pressed against her side. Kara makes her way across the room to a duffle bag that Lena hadn’t noticed before, and starts pulling out clothes. </p><p>“I was going to bring some of your clothes, but they all looked so uncomfortable, so I brought some of mine. They’ll probably be a little big on you but you can roll up the sleeves and pants a bit.”</p><p>Lena looks at her adoringly, completely enamored with the fact that Kara thought to get her comfortable clothes for leaving the hospital. She looks at the sweatshirt and sweatpants Kara hands her and her heart swells at the thought of wearing the other woman’s clothes. “Thank you,” she says with complete sincerity. Kara just smiles and blushes beautifully. Lena can’t help it, she leans in again and kisses Kara firmly. She’s pretty sure she’s allowed to do that now, and judging on the deepened state of Kara’s blush, she thinks she was right in the assumption. </p><p>“What was that for?”</p><p>“Just because you’re amazing,” Lena smiles as Kara ducks her head, bashfully. </p><p>“Okay, charmer, I’ll just be right outside while you change.” Kara turns to walk out but stops and seems to think for a moment before turning around and kissing Lena quickly. When she pulls away, she’s blushing again and Lena can’t help but to allow a wide smile take over her face as she watches Kara exit the room. </p><p>She puts on the sweats Kara handed her and is suddenly wrapped in the scent of the other woman. She pulls the sweatshirt up to her nose and inhales deeply. She doesn’t care how weird that might be, the comfort of being enveloped in Kara’s scent outweighs any embarrassment she might feel at the action. </p><p>She then goes to the door and opens it to reveal Kara leaning against the opposite wall and biting her nail. Kara looks up upon hearing the door open and smiles so bright that Lena can feel her heart pick up speed at the sight of it.</p><p>“All good? Does it fit okay?”</p><p>“It’s perfect darling, thank you.” Somehow, Kara’s smile widens at the words and Lena can’t help but respond with a wide smile of her own. She walks the short distance over to Kara so that she’s standing right in front of her. Before she can second guess herself, she reaches forward and takes Kara’s hand. Kara looks down and smiles at the action before turning so they can walk towards the nurse’s station. </p><p>“Now let’s go get those papers signed so we can head over to the office.”</p><p>Lena feels Kara stop short and stops with her to avoid separating their hands. She gives Kara a questioning look as Kara looks at her with a blank stare.</p><p>“What is it darling?”</p><p>“We’re not going back to the office. You are coming back to my apartment so you can get some rest.”</p><p>The even manner in which Kara says this leaves no room for discussion, but that doesn’t deter Lena. “I’ve been asleep for 36 hours, I think that’s a good enough amount of rest for a while.”</p><p>Kara doesn’t find this funny, she continues to level Lena with the same blank stare and makes no move to continue walking. Lena sighs and turns steps forward to grab Kara’s other hand. Face to face, Lena squeezes Kara’s hands, as best she can with a cast on one arm, and holds her gaze. “I need to tell everyone what happened. We’ll go to the office, explain what happened and discuss the next steps in this whole operation. Once that is done, we will go back to your apartment and you can keep me there as long as you see fit.” Lena lifts her lips into a slight smirk at the unintended innuendo and sees Kara’s resolve breaking as amusement fills her eyes. She squeezes Lena’s hands and starts nodding. “Okay, only if you promise you will actually rest and aren’t just saying this now to appease me.”</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>Kara smiles now and leans forward to peck Lena’s lips quickly before releasing her bandaged arm. “Okay then,” she replies before continuing their walk towards the nurse’s station. </p><p>Once all the papers are signed, they make their way out onto the busy London street. Kara insists on getting a cab to the office, not wanting Lena to walk all the way there with her injuries. They hold hands the entire ride, with Lena looking out at the city she had actually found herself missing, and Kara looking at Lena, just glad to have her back. </p><p>After the brief cab right, Lena thanks the driver and pays him before Kara can even think about it. Kara gives her a pout and Lena smiles before pecking Kara’s lips, just glad that she is able to do so, and enjoying the resulting smile and blush from the blonde. They make their way up the stairs to their office, never letting go of each other’s hand, and stop in front of the door. Kara squeezes Lena’s hand and kisses her temple as encouragement. Lena nods sharply to herself before reaching for the handle and pushing the door open. </p><p>Upon entering, four pairs of eyes snap to them. Winn and Alex look surprised to see her, most likely expecting Kara to call as soon as Lena woke up, not just show up at the office with her. Sam looks relieved to see Lena as she is the first to approach and wrap Lena in a hug. Lena hugs back with her good arm and Kara can see how happy she is to see her best friend. Cat, however, looks just shy of indifferent. She has the barest of smiles on her otherwise neutral face. Kara knows she’s glad to see Lena up and well though. </p><p>“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting?” Sam questions her and turns to look at Kara. Kara just shrugs with a simple “I tried.” Sam turns back to Lena with a reproachful look but quickly smiles again as she goes in for another hug. </p><p>Alex moves out from behind Winn’s desk where she had previously been looking at something on his computer and leans against the front of it and crosses her arms casually. “So, care to explain what the hell happened to you?” Kara shoots Alex a scolding look but Lena just laughs as Sam finally pulls away from their hug and returns to the chair she was previously occupying. Lena looks over at Cat and just receives a nod to go ahead before she dives into retelling the story she had told Kara earlier. </p><p>When she is done explaining, everyone in the room has a look of shock on their face, even Cat. </p><p>“Damn, Luthor, you really went through it.” Alex is the first to speak. </p><p>Lena chuckles before nodding her agreement. Cat is the one to speak next. “So, now what do you suggest?”</p><p>Lena makes eye contact with everyone in the room, ending her journey on Kara. She had subconsciously grabbed her hand again during her recounting of the events and is grateful no one has commented on it. She then turns to address the whole room. </p><p>“We take down my mother.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think :)</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am so sorry for the massive wait, I started school back up again and have been insanely busy. This is just a fluffy chapter while I try and get back in the swings of things. I'm thinking there will be two more chapters after this one. I hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They didn’t stay at the office much longer after that. After convincing everybody, especially Sam, that she was okay, Lena went with Kara back to the blonde’s apartment. She could really feel the effects of the last several days starting to weigh on her now that the medication the doctors had given her was starting to wear off. </p><p>When they made it inside Kara’s apartment, Kara insisted Lena go directly to the couch while she went to get extra pillows and blankets to make sure Lena was comfortable. When she returned, the pile in her arms was so high that Lena couldn’t even see Kara behind it. An endearing smile took over her face as the woman in front of her gets to arranging the couch to ensure Lena’s comfort. </p><p>“You really don’t have to do all of this darling” Lena tries to tell her, but Kara is hearing none of it. She pauses only briefly in her adjustment of the blankets over Lena to shoot the brunette an incredulous look. </p><p>“Of course I do, I have to make sure you’re comfortable so you can focus on getting better” Kara tells her as she resumes her work. Lena just feels her heart swell at the obvious care and concern Kara is showing her right now. </p><p>“There, all done” Kara states proudly as she stands up and admires her handiwork. Lena looks down at herself and sees that Kara has effectively trapped her under a mountain of blankets and pillows. She lets out a low chuckle as she realizes the other woman clearly had no intention of allowing her to get up anytime soon. </p><p>Kara moves to head towards the kitchen but Lena reaches out and grabs her hand before she can. Kara looks down at her with concern, clearly worrying that something was wrong if the crinkle between her eyebrows was any indication. Lena smiles fondly up at her to assuage her of her worries, not letting go of her hand, and Kara seems to let out a breath as she crouches down beside Lena. </p><p>Lena just looks deeply into her eyes for a moment before bringing her hand up to gently cup Kara’s cheek. Kara seems to get the message and leans forward and gently kisses Lena. Lena can tell that Kara is trying to be careful and, if it was even possible, finds herself falling even harder for the woman in front of her. When they break apart, Kara doesn’t go far and leans her forehead against Lena’s. </p><p>“Thank you” is all Lena says after a few moments of silence. Kara leans back slightly so that she can look at Lena’s face as she looks at her with confusion. </p><p>“What are you thanking me for?”</p><p>Lena only smiles at the question. Of course Kara has no idea what she’s done for Lena, because to her, it’s something anyone would do. </p><p>“Thank you for caring so much about my safety, and then for staying by my side in the hospital.” Lena had never had anyone in her life show such obvious care and concern for her well-being before. The thought of Kara refusing to leave her side the entire time she was in the hospital brings tears to her eyes. </p><p>“Of course I care about your safety, and there was no way I was going to leave your side.” Kara looks at her as if even the idea was crazy. Lena just smiles, because of course that is Kara’s response. She starts to feel herself getting choked up and clears her throat, to avoid the possibility of Kara hearing how thick her throat is beginning to feel. </p><p>“So, what are the chances of getting some food? I haven’t eaten proper food in days and I’m starving.” Lena attempts to change the subject and Kara, bless her, takes it in stride and doesn’t comment on Lena getting emotional for a moment. She just kisses her forehead and stands up to head into the kitchen where she left her phone. </p><p>“The chances of getting food are always high in this apartment” she replies with a cheeky smile that instantly lightens Lena’s heart. </p><p>About a half an hour later there is a knock on the door that Kara gets up from her spot in the chair beside Lena to answer. She comes back with the two pizzas and a massive smile on her face. Lena can’t help the swelling in her heart as she watches Kara interact with food. She never thought someone’s obsession with food could be so endearing to her, but here she is. </p><p>When they’re both settled in with their plates, Lena gives the silence a few minutes before filling it with a question that had been spinning around in her head for a few days now. </p><p>“Kara, what’s going on here?”</p><p>Kara looks up from the second slice of pizza she had just grabbed and looks at Lena with that adorable crinkle set between her eyebrows again. </p><p>“What do you mean?” </p><p>Lena smiles tightly to herself, afraid to elaborate on her question in fear of an answer she won’t like. </p><p>“You and me, I mean. What’s going on with us?”</p><p>A look of understanding seems to cross Kara’s face as she places her plate down on the coffee table in front of her. Lena can see her swallow as she looks down at her hands that are clasped in front of her. She’s silent for a few moments and Lena keeps thinking of terrible scenarios in her head as the silence stretches on. What if she doesn’t feel the same way I do? What if she regrets kissing me? What if she only did it because she was afraid I was going to die and now she wants to take it back? </p><p>Kara interrupts her downward spiral before it can get too out of hand, as if she knows what was running through Lena’s mind. “What do you want to be going on here?”</p><p>Lena is confused by the question and she allows her face to say so. What does she mean what do I want? It’s not up to me is it? Kara is just looking at her expectantly, as if the question wasn’t the most absurd thing Lena had ever heard in her life. No one has ever asked her for her opinion on a situation before. No one has ever asked how she feels about anything. So, what should be a simple question, has Lena stunned into silence. </p><p>Kara just continues to look at her and wait patiently for an answer she’s sure Lena will get to eventually. The soft look in her eyes as she watches the wheels spin in Lena’s mind give Lena pause. She realizes that Kara truly just wants to know how Lena is feeling. She realizes that she will have to train the cynic skeptic out of herself if she is going to continue being around Kara. Which reminds her, she should answer the question because she definitely wants to continue being around Kara. </p><p>She swallows thickly before softly saying “I really like you.” She feels a blush rise up her neck and cheeks at the admission, never having been that vulnerable with anyone before. Kara, however, just has a massive smile spread across her face as she looks at Lena as if she had just told Kara they could order a hundred more pizzas. </p><p>Kara gets up and crosses the short distance until she is crouched beside Lena again. She doesn’t speak and Lena just looks at her nervously, anticipating Kara’s response. Instead of replying verbally, however, Kara just leans in and kisses Lena. It’s gentle again, as Kara reaches up and cups Lena’s cheeks with both of her hands, being careful not to jostle Lena around with all of her injuries. Lena responds immediately and brings her hands up to hold Kara’s arms as she kisses her back. After a few moments, Kara breaks the kiss but only pulls away far enough to look Lena directly in the eyes as she tells her “I really like you too.”</p><p>Lena’s smile is so wide she can feel her cheeks straining, but she can’t find it in herself to care. She leans forward and kisses Kara again chastely. When they pull apart again, Kara has a matching smile on her face as she just looks into Lena’s eyes. </p><p>Lena pulls away further and pulls back the blankets laying across her as an indication for Kara to join her under the mountain she built for Lena. Kara looks at her warily for a moment before climbing in beside Lena as carefully as she can. She wraps on arm around Lena’s shoulder as Lena tucks her head under Kara’s jaw, resting on the taller woman’s chest. They lay like that for a little while before a though pops into Lena’s mind. </p><p>“Can I ask you something?”</p><p>“Of course, you can ask me anything.”</p><p>Lena chuckles lightly at the very Kara answer she is given. Her face grows solemn again as she remembers what it is she wants to ask. </p><p>“Why?” She can’t bring herself to elaborate, hoping Kara will understand. </p><p>“Why what?” Of course Kara doesn’t get her question, she’s too good to think the way Lena is right now. She takes a deep breath before continuing. </p><p>“Why do you like me? I haven’t done anything good in my life. I was an assassin before we met and before that it’s not like I did anything good for the world. I’m not a good person, I’ve killed people and never felt guilty for it, until now. Sometimes I even enjoyed killing people. I just don’t understand how you, someone who is so good and perfect, could like me.”</p><p>Kara is silent for a while after and Lena can feel herself growing more nervous by the second. What if she hadn’t considered it like that before? What if she’s now reconsidering everything because I just had to bring all of that up? Oh god, why is she still not saying anything?</p><p>Before she can let herself spiral any further, she lifts her head off of Kara’s chest to look at her face and try and decipher what emotion she sees there. Kara has the crinkle again and Lena thinks the worst. She thinks that Kara is actually reconsidering everything now that Lena has brought those concerns to light. She makes to pull away from Kara, after convincing herself that she has just ruined everything, but Kara’s grip on her shoulder tightens, refusing to allow Lena to move away. She can see fear flicker across Kara’s eyes when she thought Lena was going to pull away. Lena just looks at her with confusion as Kara still hasn’t said anything. </p><p>Finally, Kara loosens her grip on Lena’s shoulder and urges her to rest her head on her chest again. “I was just trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to say” Kara tells her, and Lena lets some of the tension out of her shoulders. It must be a good sign that Kara hadn’t wanted her to pull away. </p><p>“Why do I like you? I don’t even know how to begin answering that question. I could be here all night telling you all the ways in which you amaze me. As for the other stuff, I can tell you right now that you have done plenty of good in your life. You didn’t hurt Alex even though you knew what kind of consequences could come from not fulfilling a job. You risked your life going to Dublin for a team that you had only met the day before. You took on your own mother for the same team and nearly died in the process of trying to finish that mission and get back to us. Lena I know you’ve done bad things in your life, really bad things.” As she pauses Lena swallows thickly at all the awful things she has done to people for those she worked for. </p><p>As if sensing her train of thought, Kara squeezes her shoulders again and kisses her forehead before continuing. “But Lena, we’ve all done bad things. We’ve all done things we regret. What matters is that you’re trying to make up for those things in every way you can. It doesn’t matter how much bad you’ve done, if you’re determined to make up for it, I believe that there’s always a way to.”</p><p>Lena isn’t sure when she started crying, but by the time Kara is done speaking, there are tears streaming down her face as she tries to get a handle on her breathing. Kara just holds her close and kisses Lena’s head as she tucks her face further into Kara’s neck. She knows she’s probably leaving stains on Kara’s shirt, but the other woman doesn’t seem to mind. After a few minutes, Lena’s soft sobs subside into light sniffling. </p><p>When she pulls away from Kara’s neck, Kara just cups her cheeks and wipes away the tears that had gathered there. Kara smiles softly at her as she looks deep into Kara’s eyes, searching for any speck of insincerity. When she finds none, because of course she doesn’t, Lena leans up to kiss Kara softly. Kara responds immediately and Lena wishes she could stay like this forever. She pulls away reluctantly and presses one more quick kiss to Kara’s lips before fully pulling away. </p><p>She sits up on the couch and Kara is right behind her, looking at her with concern, obviously wondering why she is moving when the doctor told them she needed rest. Lena smiles at the concern on her (girlfriend’s?) face, they’ll have to have that conversation later. For now, Lena just turns to Kara with determination in her eyes. Kara can see that something has clicked in Lena’s mind and waits patiently for whatever Lena is going to say next. </p><p>“We have to get back to the office.”</p><p>“What? Lena, no you need to rest!” Kara splutters as Lena begins removing all the blankets from on top of her. As she’s about to stand up, Kara grabs her wrist and Lena turns back to see the confusion on Kara’s face. </p><p>“Why do we need to the office?”</p><p>“Because I know how we’re going to take down my mother.”</p>
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